My Enemy, My Friend
by rgoodfellow
Summary: Mummy, Psycho-Six crossover. Alex 'stumbles' across a relic that leads the O'Connell's to the Eater of Souls.


Just a couple of pre-story notes... First of all... I don't do chapters. It's a little foible of mine. Second, enjoy!

* * *

My Enemy, My Friend.

> _Luxor: City of the Dead, Egypt 3rd Dynasty_

The river Nile flows through the stark, lifeless desert of Egypt. It brings with it the black rich soil that is Egypt's only source of life. A blue ribbon pulling life out of the sands. But where there is life, there is death.  
  
It rose out of the sand like all of Egypt's gods. Worshipped, honoured, feared; the Eater of Souls. Held in check only by Anubis and Ma'at, the divine balance, the Eater of Souls' appetite is never sated. But what happens when Ma'at is disturbed?  
  
The dark sorcerer Rahotep crept through the city of the dead, searching for the final ingredient necessary for his wizardry. Suddenly, the flickering light of his torch fell on the partially devoured corpse of a jackal. Another starving jackal growled menacingly as the light fell on it tearing hungrily at its kin. The growl deepened as the sorcerer approached, until it finally gave in to its fear of the flickering flames and slunk away into the shadows.  
  
"Ah yes, death brought low by death. Anubis destroys himself," Rahotep whispered to himself as he pulled a few black hairs from the muzzle of the desiccated jackal. From the pouch at his side he pulled out a small clay pot covered in mystical symbols and a small golden amulet decorated with the symbol of Osiris on one side and Isis on the other.  
  
Putting the amulet around his neck, the sorcerer knelt down before the image of Anubis carved on the necropolis wall.   
  
"May the chains be broken," he intoned as he dropped the jackal hair into the vessel.  
  
"May the balance shift," Rahotep took the amulet from around his neck and let it dangle in the liquid within the pot.  
  
"Let this vessel be the key to justice,  
  
Let this talisman make justice mine.  
  
Ammut answer me."  
  
Out of the shadows came a sound like ripping fabric, and a thousand angry cats hissing in unison. The sorcerer Rahotep drew the amulet from the bubbling liquid, dropped it around his neck, and stood to face the darker shadow among the shadows.  
  
"Obey me."  
  
"Yesssss."  
  
The sorcerer walked away from his makeshift alter to the darkness, leaving behind the simple clay pot now called the key.  
  
A pair of dark shapes moved out of the shadows and into the flickering light of Rahotep's forgotten torch. The shapes resolved themselves into a pair of black cats who warily circled the pot. As they moved, the firelight glinted off of gold jewelry at their throats and ears.

* * *

> _British Museum of Antiquities, London England, 1938_

"I don't believe I've ever seen its like," Dr. Evelyn O'Connell looked at the small black and golden statuette that her son had placed in front of her. On a single base stood two ebony cats with golden accessories sitting back to back.   
  
"The cartouche describes them as Bastet and Sekhmet," Alex said to his mother. "I didn't think they were ever depicted together like this," his British accent was less pronounced than his mother's.   
  
"They usually aren't," Evelyn replied. "Where did you say you got this?" She picked up the statue gently and turned it over in her hands.  
  
"Jeffery… gave it to me."  
  
"Translation: lost it in a game of cards," a deep voice said from the doorway.  
  
"Rick, look here." The man who entered the room bore a distinct resemblance to the young Alex. The entire O'Connell family now stood staring at the two ebony cats who sat serenely oblivious to the attention.  
  
"I admit that all cats look pretty much alike to me, but that's kinda ridiculous. They're identical," Rick leaned in to take a closer look.  
  
"No dad, they're not. Look," Alex pointed to one of the pair. "This one's Sekhmet, and she has two earrings, and Bastet has four. One in her left ear and three in her right."  
  
"You certainly are paying attention to details Alex," his mother said beaming. "Now, how old would you say this was?"  
  
"It doesn't look too old to me," Rick said. "Alex, are you sure Jeff didn't just give you some cheap replica hoping it would get him out of debt?"  
  
"Now Rick, Alex doesn't gamble, you know that," Evelyn laid her hand on her husband's arm.  
  
"Evy, that would make him the only member of this family who didn't."  
  
"You don't gamble. I don't gamble," she said.  
  
"Yes we do, but only with our lives," Rick O'Connell placed his hand over his wife's, and grinned. "Now, what were you saying about this Alex?"  
  
"Well, based on the carving style, as well as the hieroglyphics, I'd have to say it was about 3rd Dynasty. But at that point Sekhmet and Bastet were still just desert spirits."  
  
"The hieroglyphics, what to they say?" Rick asked. "Wait, let me guess. They're some sort of dire warning against disturbing something, right?"  
  
"Actually, our best translation so far seems to be 'fear not, the eater of souls shall not have you.'"  
  
"Fear not?" Rick asked, incredulous. "It's something we shouldn't be afraid of?"  
  
"Dad, breathe. We've studied things that weren't supernatural before. But it is unusual. Bastet and Sekhmet aren't known for being particularly easygoing. Sekhmet is a destructive goddess. According to legend she almost destroyed the whole human race once."  
  
"Sounds like a party. Remind me not to piss her off."  
  
"The piece is remarkably well preserved for its age. The gold leaf is still intact, the ebony hasn't crumbled," Evelyn turned to Alex. "And look, these earrings aren't part of the carving. They're real metal rings threaded through holes pierced in the wood. And none of them have been removed or broken off. It's remarkable."  
  
"Right," Rick said under his breath. "Remarkably remarkable." He picked up the statue and looked at it with a treasure hunter's practiced eye. The hieroglyphs around the base of the statue had been lovingly filled in with gold paint by some dedicated artist centuries ago. He gently flipped the statue over to the look at the maker's mark. If it had been signed, it might be worth a few bucks.  
  
Evelyn looked at it curiously, "what was that?"  
  
"What was what?" Alex asked looking at his mother.  
  
"That rattling sound. Rick, shake it. Gently." Rick gave the statue a soft shake. This time all three heard the clink of something moving inside the statue.  
  
Rick searched the bottom of the statue for evidence of some sort of hidden compartment. After a few moments of intense concentration, he set the statue back on the table and stared at it, his brow furrowed. Alex and Evy watched as Rick examined it from several angles. "That's it!" He said.  
  
"What's it dad?"  
  
"Look here," Rick pointed. "The cartouches, here and here, for the names." He pushed the cartouches simultaneously and was rewarded with a soft click as the base slid open. Inside was a piece of cloth covered with cramped and faded hieroglyphs. Amongst the Egyptian letters were little notations, like a drawing of the curve of a stream, or a sketch of a rock formation. In the bottom corner however, was something very odd. A stylized drawing of what looked like a leafless oak tree contained within the circle of its own branches. Doubly strange since oak trees were unknown in Egypt at the time the statue was made.  
  
Rick handed the bit of cloth to Evy, and extracted the object that had alerted them to the presence of the secret compartment. It looked like a large coin with an eagle or hawk on one side, and seven stars on the other. The coin itself was octagonal in design and about the size of his palm.  
  
"Why this is a map," Evelyn exclaimed.  
  
Rick looked up from the coin. "A map?"  
  
"Yes, these little drawings are landmarks, and the text directs you from one to the next. The last part says something about the guardianship of the infinite claw. Then there's a bit about Bast and Sekhmet, but the ink's smudged, and I can't read the rest.  
  
Rick was troubled. He had a bad feeling about this one. He hadn't minded trouble when he was on his own, but now he had a family to look after. Evelyn noticed the dark look on his face and decided he needed some reassurance.  
  
"Rick, would you feel better about this if we checked it out with Ardeth Bay first?"  
  
"Yeah, that would be a good idea. So, we're going to roll with this?"  
  
"Well, it's as good a place as any to dig this year. If we don't follow this lead, it's back to the Valley of the Kings."  
  
"I hate that place. All those stuck up Archeologists calling me a thug and a philistine. As if they aren't a great big bunch of grave robbers themselves."  
  
"I guess that settles it," Evelyn said. "I'll make the arrangements to sail for Cairo. We can get in touch with the Medjai once we get there. Once I'm finished with that, you and I have some research to do Alex."  
  


* * *

  
  
"They'll be arriving in Cairo on the 24th.  
  
"I don't care how much it costs. I can afford your fees.  
  
"Because you're the best. People have tried before. They're very lucky. And cautious.  
  
"All of them. Even the boy.  
  
"Yes, yes. I'll be there to pay your fee. Don't worry about your money.  
  
"Yes, of course. Zhai jzang to you too."  
  
click  
  
"Mercenary assassin bitch."  
  


* * *

> _One month later, Cairo Egypt_

The O'Connells stepped off of the British freighter into the scorching Egyptian heat.  
  
"Oh, it's good to be home," Evelyn sighed. "It is so wonderful to be properly warm again. No, no, I don't want to buy a mummy," this last was directed to one of the mob of merchants swarming around the disembarking passengers. "I don't care if it is authentic."  
  
"No," Alex said. "I don't want to buy a bracelet. _Especially_ if it belonged to the Scorpion King."  
  
Rick laughed at the irony surrounding him. Then it was his turn to be mobbed. "No, thank-you. I'll stay away from the Eater of Souls if you don't mind." The sights and smells were almost overwhelming, but to the O'Connells it was all a welcome reminder of home. As always, Cairo was full of exotic sights and people from far away places. Rick saw one of the red-clad Massai, people who usually didn't travel this far north, bargaining for cattle. At another stall an immaculately dressed French gentleman was haggling over a basket of dates. Seated atop a bale of hay, a shish kabob in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, a young Chinese woman watched the passengers disembarking. As she downed the last of her coffee, Rick felt the wind pick up. The vendors looked at the darkening sky to the west, and began to pack their belongings, readying themselves for another sandstorm to howl across the Nile. No wonder their ancestors had called the west bank the city of the dead.  
  
When Rick looked up again, the Chinese girl was gone, but he could see their research assistant Henry Redman, directing the ship's porters to load their belongings into a battered truck. Rick missed traveling by camel, but it was smart to sell them before they got too old. With the camels they had collected in Hamunaptra, they had made more than enough to buy this truck. Once the loading was finished, Rick hoisted his dufflebag over his shoulder. He scanned the little dockside market, feeling as though someone was watching. The spot between his shoulder blades itched in a way it hadn't since Ahm Shere.  
  
"We had best take lodgings in the hotel for the night," Henry was saying as Rick approached, wedging his duffel in the passenger side foot well, letting Henry take the wheel. "The porters say this is the worst sandstorm they've seen since the night of plagues. Whenever that was."  
  
"It was in 1925," Evy said almost dispassionately.   
  
They arrived at the hotel quickly, locking their truck safely away from thieves, the four ran towards the hotel, now barely visible through the driving sands. The group felt as thought their skin was being peeled away with sandpaper. Everything left out in the storm was going to be scoured clean by the storms rage. At least this storm had no guiding intelligence behind it, the O'Connells found that, for all its fierce intensity, it was much less frightening so long as they kept that thought in mind.  
  
The excavating season hadn't yet officially started, so the hotel was relatively empty. After their long trip, Evy, Rick and Alex were tired, and since they hoped to leave early in time to catch Ardeth Bay, they decided to get some sleep.   
  
"I'd like to stay up for a little longer and watch the entertainment," Alex said, gesturing towards the scantily clad dancers that circled the lobby. The soft chimes of the coins that adorned their costumes was all the music they needed. One of them stopped, and began to dance in directly in front of them, perhaps recognizing Rick as a generous tipper from one of his previous visits.  
  
"No Alex, we need to leave early tomorrow, if we want to make it to the starting point at the Bedouin's oasis before noon."  
  
"But mom," Alec moaned softly as he stared, entranced, at the almond shaped eyes that were all that could be seen of the dancer's face behind her veil.  
  
"No buts Alex," Rick said firmly. "You know the rules. While we're on a dig, your mom sets the hours."  
  
He grabbed Alex by the shoulder as Evy began to climb the stairs, but gave the boy enough time to press a few coins into the girl's hands.  
  


* * *

  
  
As the sun rose, the city was already awake preparing for another day. As they had since time out of mind, the people of Egypt rose before the sun, as all activity ground to a halt as the sun approached its zenith. Foreigners not wise enough to follow the example of the natives soon found themselves at the mercy of the elements, and the Egyptians. Most woke up after the day's heat began to dissipate in a dark alley with a pounding headache and empty pockets. The unlucky ones wound up as their predecessors had for centuries, feeding the Sacred Crocodiles of the Nile River.  
  
The O'Connells started to make their way across the river, to the small oasis where the Medjai camped when they came to trade in Cairo. The low barge rocked gently under the weight of their loaded truck. Redman, along with several trusted diggers, would meet them later, after their meeting with Ardeth Bay. Alex leaned over the railing, watching a family of ducks paddle past. One swam close to a muddy log floating free in the current. Too late, it realized that the log wasn't a log. With a splash and a snap, the duck was gone. The captain called out to his passengers to prepare to disembark as they neared the bank.  
  
Rick suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched. As one hand reached for the dufflebag at his feet, he scanned the cliffs that paralleled the river. After a moment the tension left his frame, and he saluted the group of black-clad horseman atop the cliffs with the shotgun he now held in his right hand. The salute was returned with a host of swords, honouring one of their own. A moment later they backed out of sight, presumably to wait at the oasis for the O'Connells.   
  
Once they had parked their truck beyond the last row of tents, the three archeologists strode into the large tent nestled in among the sparse foliage that surrounded the little watering hole. The interior of the large tent was dark but cool. What light there was filtered in through panels of almost transparent silk set in pleasant patterns, smoothing away some of the harshness that lined the faces of the men within.  
  
Ardeth Bay rose from his seat among the cushions to welcome his friends. He greeted them soberly, always ready for the next metaphysical crisis, the next monster to escape. Even other Medjai occasionally found him intimidating. The intensity in his dark eyes had been enough to warn all but the most determined treasure hunters away from the places they were sworn to guard. His face brightened almost imperceptibly as he welcomed them into his home.  
  
After the traditional three cups of coffee, and reminiscences of times past, the group got down to business. Rick handed the map and the statue to Ardeth, watched closely by the assembled chiefs of the Medjai.  
  
"Does this ring any bells?" Rick asked. He still worried about the strange warning carved in the base of the statue.  
  


* * *

  
  
"This is really good coffee."  
  
"I didn't come here to make small talk with you."  
  
"Fine. I'll wait until they've done whatever it is you want them to do, and then I'll finish it."  
  
"Good. I'll let you know when the time comes. You'll have to follow us. They have the map and they haven't let it out of their sight."  
  
"You don't have to worry about me. I can find them."  
  
"You'd better be as good as they say, to be worth this kind of money."  
  
"I'm better."  
  


* * *

  
  
The O'Connells and Ardeth Bay sat in companionable silence waiting for the next landmark to appear on the horizon. The Medjai council had confirmed that the temple the map spoke of was not one in Medjai care. Ardeth Bay had come along, although no one knew his reasons except him.  
  
It took them three days of off-road driving, moving slowly since there were no roads in this part of the desert, and they only had one more landmark to find before they were at the temple described in the last few phrases of the map.  
  
"There it is," Alex exclaimed. "Or what's left of it anyway." He pointed to a few crumbling obelisks set in a circle, almost buried in the sand.  
  
"Where do we go from here?"  
  
Evelyn consulted the tattered map, translating the hyroglyphics as she read. "_Six hundred cubits towards the birth of Ra, the judgement of the heavy heart awaits, bound_..." Evy paused searching for an accurate translation. "... _bound by fate and guarded by chaos_. Well, the directions are simple enough. We need to go six hundred cubits east."  
  
They drove slowly towards the east, keeping an eye on the surrounding dunes, looking for signs of an abandoned temple. Finally they reached six hundred cubits and, turning to avoid a sand dune, found themselves driving along the face of a short, overhung cliff surrounded on all sides by mountains of shifting sand. Sheltered from the sun by the overhang, a few green plants surrounded a small pool.   
  
Behind the pool, set in a cave made millennia ago, was what they sought. While completely Egyptian in design, it nevertheless reminded Rick strongly of the Anasazi cliff villages of the south western United States.  
  
Quickly they parked near the overhang, spilling out of the truck. It was close to noon, and the air inside the trucks was at least 110F.  
  
Once in the shade of the overhang, everyone was much cooler. The group took the opportunity to rest comfortably during the heat of the day.  
  


* * *

  
  
While the O'Connells and their workers unpacked the trucks, Ardeth Bay examined the area. The cave area itself would be surprisingly easy to defend.  
  
The soft hiss of shifting sand made him focus his attention on the mouth of the cave. With one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, Ardeth Bay moved slightly towards the sound's origins. Careful not to disturb the sand himself, he followed the faint sounds of sand moving under someone's weight.  
  
Soundlessly, the Medjai drew his sword, and crept up behind where he knew someone was watching the O'Connells. When he finally arrived the spot was empty but had, until quite recently, been occupied. The slight depression that was minutely cooler than the surrounding sand was the only sign that there had been someone there at all.  
  
Making his way back to the cave, Ardeth Bay found signs that their unknown visitor had been watching them for some time. Possibly even from the moment they arrived. The Medjai warrior was surprised, disconcerted and even a little embarrassed that it had taken him this long to realize that someone was watching.  
  
Rick found Ardeth Bay not long after in the mouth of the cave, staring out into the desert. Watching. "We're headed into the main temple," he said.  
  
"He's watching us."  
  
"The question is, why? That's what worries me." The stood a moment in silence, looking out into the Sahara.  
  
"Do you still prefer the Thompson?" Rick asked, his gaze never shifting.  
  
"Yes, thank-you." The pair turned to enter the long-forgotten temple.  
  
"Here we go again."  
  


* * *

  
  
Evelyn, Alex and Henry were touring the inside of the building. It was decorated quite simply for a temple, with a painted reflection pool on the floor, and images of Bastet and Sekhmet engaged in various household tasks on the walls. It was almost as though this had been their home, not their temple. Using this as a clue to begin her search, Evelyn worked her way around the room, paying particular attention to those places where there would be doors and windows in a typical Egyptian home.  
  
"Mom, look," Alex exclaimed from the back of the room. "Here's the inscription again. _Fear not. The Eater of Souls shall not have you._"  
  
A panel decorated in extreme detail, covered with intricate carvings depicting Sekhmet and Bastet, along with an unusual six armed figure, banishing Ammut to the underworld.  
  
"Who is he?" Rick pointed to the many armed figure.  
  
"Well, he has a sword, a spear, a bow, a mace, a dagger and an axe . I would assume he's some sort of war god. Perhaps a minor aspect of Montu."  
  
"Dr. O'Connell, I think there may be a doorway of some sort hidden behind this panel," Henry said. "The stone is a different colour than the rest of the wall."  
  
"Do we have to break it down to get through?" Evelyn wondered. "These inscriptions could be quite informative."  
  
"Well, I don't see any other way of opening it. What about the statue? Maybe there's something there," Rick said. "Wouldn't be the first time. Unless you're having visions about this one?"  
  
"No, this time we have to use our wits," Evelyn kissed him lightly on the cheek on the way by, and Alex groaned on general principals.  
  
"That's what worries me."  
  
Evelyn pulled the statue out of her battered rucksack, examining it carefully as she returned to the doorway. "Well," she said. "The statue itself doesn't seem to be the key."  
  
"What about the coin?" Alex asked. "Could there be something there?"  
  
Taking the coin out of its hiding place, Evy tried to find some clues as to how to open the door in front of her. For a long moment she simply stared at the coin, as though she could force its secrets from it. Looking up, she took a step back, hoping for a new perspective.  
  


* * *

  
  
He watched, biding his time. He knew that if anyone could find a way in it was the O'Connells. The ones that had hidden it were far to clever for breaking down the door to be an option. That would possibly bring the whole place down on top of them. He had no intention of dying. That was what this was all about.  
  


* * *

  
  
Taking another look at the inscriptions, Evelyn noticed that while the capture was depicted on the panel in question, the banishment of Ammut wasn't. This took up a single column on the main wall. Selecting one of her soft brushes, she began to remove years of accumulated dust and sand from the images.  
  
About halfway down the column, she discovered something unusual. Underneath the flaking paint, she noticed a gap in the stonework. After a moment she realized that it was exactly the same width as the coin she still held in her hand.  
  
"Well, let's give it a try," she said brightly, and dropped the coin into the slot.  
  
A few moments later, the group heard a series of strange noises coming from behind the wall. The superstitious (writer's note: this means smarter) native diggers began to mutter prayers to Allah, hoping this trip wasn't going to be their last.  
  
The grinding and clanking noises came to a halt, and a small panel opened in the wall nearby. Rick peeked in, shining his light in. The depression wasn't very deep, but it almost seemed to absorb the light. It wasn't until he brought the lamp in very close that he realized there was writing on the inside of the niche.  
  
"Alex, what does it say?" He asked.  
  
Alex peered into the space, mumbled quietly to himself for a moment, and turned back to his father.  
  
"It basically says 'are you really sure you want to do this?' and then there's a picture of Bastet and Sekhmet standing back to back."  
  
"Back to back?" Evy asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The statue. Put the statue in the niche," she handed the ebony carving to her son. "And make sure to have them facing the same way as in the picture."  
  
"Mooommmm."  
  
Alex gently placed the statue in the opening, being extremely careful to do as his mother suggested. As soon as he let go of it, there was a soft click and both cats turned to face the opening. Then the statue slowly began to sink out of sight. As it sank, the door slowly opened, sliding into the floor, to reveal the darkened cavern beyond.  
  
Henry tossed a brightly burning torch across the cavern, where it sputtered for a moment in the ancient air, then flared again, giving tantalizing glimpses of the chamber. One by one they entered the room, their kerosene lamps casting more shadows than light.  
  


* * *

> _A bar, somewhere in the United States_

"...looks like a whorehouse," an obviously drunk young man stumbled, almost dropping the glass he held before it was full.  
  
"It's the art of misdirection darling," said the young woman sitting on the bar in front of him, deftly pouring liquor into the bobbing and weaving glasses held out in supplication before her. "They'd never look for you here."  
  
She was dressed strangely, even for a progressive woman of the times, not that the men around her were complaining. Instead of the typical long sequined dresses, she wore a man's pinstriped suit, tailored to leave no doubt about the wearer's gender. She also wore the matching fedora, tilted rakishly over one eye.  
  
"Aren't we supposed to drink this out of your shoe?" One of the young men held up the bottle of Champagne he had bought with this month's pay.  
  
"Well, if you wanted to ruin an expensive bottle of Champagne. There's one other problem though..."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
In response, the people in front of the bar shuffled out of the newcomer's line of sight, allowing him a glimpse of her bare feet, resting on the brass rail that ran around the bar.  
  
With all eyes on their scandalously clad companion, no one noticed her friends moving silently among them removing guns and other weapons with such deftness, that even the most skilled of pickpockets would have been left in awe.  
  
"You two are getting really good at this. Used to be you could only hit four or five people at once."  
  
"It helps that they find what she's saying fascinating."  
  
"Really?" He stopped and listened. "Sounds like she's putting _herself_ to sleep."  
  
With all the weapons stowed away for future use, he looked at the assembled wise guys. The still had a few minutes left, and he looked around for something to do. The chalkboard behind the bar caught his eye. He vaulted the bar easily, avoiding the men crowded around his accomplice. Taking the wet rag from the engrossed bartender's hand he wiped the board clean.  
  
The second woman looked up, and noticed blue lights flashing through the high windows.  
  
"Guys, they're here.  
  
"Coming."  
  
"In a sec," the scritch scratch of chalk on chalkboard continued. After a moment, the sound of chalk breaking drew the women's attention.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Alarm's going off."  
  
"Where?" He pulled a little globe out of his pocket, turning it around until he located the blinking light.  
  
"Egypt."  
  
"Oh, no. I _knew_ it was a bad idea to leave the bowl and the amulet together."  
  
"You did not."  
  
"Did too."  
  
"Did not. You said everything would be fine as long as we kept an eye on the key."  
  
"C'mon, let's go."  
  
The mobsters, finally released from the glamour, watched amazed as the trio ran through the wall. As the police swarmed in, arresting the unarmed mobsters easily, the bartender took a look at the chalkboard.  
  
_"Chaos, Panic, Disorder. Our work here is done."_  
  


* * *

  
  
With the help of the labourers, the group soon had the area lit to their satisfaction. The O'Connell's began to examine the chamber in detail. The large room was simply furnished, and everything was amazingly well preserved. The walls were covered in intricate patterns, as well as images of Bast and Sekhmet in their human and cat forms. Also present were the many armed man from the outer chamber, and another man in the garb of a foreign prince.  
  
There were cushions scattered on the low dais in one corner, with a Mankala board abandoned mid-game, and a half written letter on a table nearby, the ink turned to dust on the pallet.  
  
"It looks as though they left in the middle of whatever they were doing," Alex said as he leaned over the letter.  
  
"'I regret to inform you great Nisu, that I cannot continue to supply Kemmet's armies...' he's cutting Pharaoh off, because he won't pay his bills."  
  
"This wall talks about false gods from the 'gateway to heaven,'" Redman said.   
  
Ardeth Bay stood silently by the door, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword, watching the slowly shifting shadows at the mouth of the cave. The rest of the group continued to explore the room, being careful not to disturb anything.  
  
Redman sauntered nonchalantly to a small, embossed shield that hung on one wall. Twisting it slightly, he reached into the opening that had been revealed and extracted a battered looking pot and a small cloth-wrapped package. Checking over his shoulder, he made sure no one was watching him and stepped into a small alcove.  
  
Tossing in the correct components and muttering quietly in Egyptian, he waved the amulet over the pot. Everyone turned to discover the source of the horrible rending sound that filled the chamber. They watched in horror as a creature with the head of a crocodile, the forequarters of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippo tore its way through a strange hole hanging in mid-air.  
  
The diggers screamed and scrambled to get past Ardeth at the door. They knew this creature from countless tomb walls, knew too what she meant for those not pure at heart. They ran for the exit, trying to escape the Eater of Souls.  
  
Ammut growled terribly, tearing her way through the rip, and attacked the fearful men from behind. In a moment all that was left of them was a bloody smear along the temple floor, and Ammut sitting on her haunches licking the blood from her paws like a contented kitten.  
  
"_Master, what do you wish of me?_"  
  
"Master?" Evy said, shocked. "Someone here is controlling that thing?"  
  
"Yes," Redman stepped out from the niche he had been hiding in. "Me. For the glory of the Fatherland I will destroy the unworthy," he looked at Ammut, and pointed to Ardeth Bay. "Kill him."  
  
She turned to Ardeth Bay and caught a faceful of .45 calibre bullets from the Thompson. The bullets impacted soundlessly into her flesh, and were absorbed without a trace. He realized quickly that the weapon was useless, and drew his sword.  
  
The Eater of Souls took another step towards him, and paused, ignoring the swipe of his sword as she had the hail of bullets. She then looked at each of the O'Connell's, then back to Redman. "_No. None of these._"  
  
"Never mind. They've already been dealt with. Come."  
  
"_I come._" Sheltered behind Ammut where no one could get to him, Redman sauntered out of the chamber, and sealed the entrance.  
  
Rick looked around the now sealed room. "What now?"  
  
"He has released the Eater of Souls," Ardeth Bay intoned. "There is no way to destroy the creature, and no one left alive who can banish her back to the netherworld. If Henry should somehow loose control of her..."  
  
"Take over and/or destroy the world," Alex interrupted.  
  
"Look at this," Rick said, pointing to the panel on the now closed door.  
  
"How unusual," Evelyn moved in for a closer look. Unlike typical Egyptian artwork, the three depicted were not drawn in profile. They were instead drawn facing the room, in running positions.  
  
"What does it say?  
  
"It says 'Please do not stand directly in front of this doorway,'" Alex translated the row of hieroglyphs running down the side of the image.  
  
They stared at the image for a moment, wondering about the strange warning, and then the four of them began searching for a way to open the door from the inside. None of them could find any purchase on the door, and finally Rick suggested they resort to his emergency stash of dynamite. Before they could start arguing about that, Ardeth Bay motioned them to silence. Rick shot him a questioning glance, but kept quiet.  
  
Ardeth closed his eyes, and seemed to be listening. He moved to the door, and put his ear to it.  
  
"I hear voices," no sooner had he spoken, than three people tumbled out of the wall. The first knocked Ardeth Bay over, and ended up in his lap. The others managed to land on their feet.  
  
"Can't you read?" The young woman sitting on Ardeth Bay asked. She paused and seemed to see him for the first time. "Oh, never mind," she smiled.  
  
"Don't cast the spell!" the other woman exclaimed.  
  
"To late," the third newcomer, a young man, said. "There's already been a rip," he pointed towards where Ammut had torn through from the underworld.  
  
A moment later the two women stood face-to-face, arguing in a foreign language. The young man watched them for a bit, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"You done arguing with yourself yet?" He asked them. They stopped in mid word and turned to him.  
  
"Yep," they chorused.  
  
"So," the one in the Fedora said. "You've released Ammut. Some people..."  
  
"And you a Medjai," the taller woman said. "You should know better."  
  
"Who are you people?" Evy asked, staring at the now blank wall through which they had arrived. "And how did you get in here?"  
  
"Through the door," the young man said.  
  
"Names," Rick said, his handgun drawn.  
  
"Bob."  
  
"George."  
  
"Kathy."  
  
"_Your_ names."  
  
"Oh," they smiled.  
  
"What's in a name?" The young man asked.  
  
"You are _not_ fun," one of the women said, looking at the expression on his face.  
  
"Robyn."  
  
"Nikki."  
  
"Talon."  
  
"Now," Rick said, still covering them with his pistol. "You're going to tell us how to get out of here. And how you know about all of this!"  
  
"Oh sure," Robyn said, hands on hips. "And _you_ can get rid of that piece before I take it away."  
  
Evelyn put a hand on Rick's wrist. "They came to stop it."  
  
"Yes," Rick said. "Imhotep was here to stop the Scorpion King." His eyes never wavered. "Talk."  
  
An eye blink later, Robyn stood in front of him, with his own gun pointed at him. Ardeth Bay stood nearby, sword drawn, crossed with one she seemed to have pulled from nowhere. Alex was being held back by his hair, restrained by the one named Nikki. Talon stood off to one side, shattering the silent tableau with the sound of the Tommy-gun being cocked.  
  
"Robyn, Ammut is more important."  
  
"Never thought you'd be the voice of reason Tal."  
  
"Gotta keep you on your toes somehow. And anyway, it won't be any fun if she kills everyone."  
  
"Point," Robyn handed Rick his pistol, and stepped away, lowering her sword. She smiled at Ardeth Bay. "You're quick," she turned to Rick. "We are not your enemies. We need the bowl. Where is it?"  
  
"What bowl?" Alex asked.  
  
"They didn't do it Robyn," Nikki said. "There was someone else."  
  
"Yes, my assistant Redman. He was over there somewhere when Ammut appeared," Evelyn pointed to the niche and Nikki walked over and picked up the battered vessel.  
  
"Oh good, he didn't destroy it."  
  
"What would've happened if he had?"  
  
"The spell to release and control Ammut calls this the key. Without the key we can't open a door to force her back into the underworld. But we can't do anything without the amulet."  
  
"What does the amulet do?"  
  
"The amulet controls her. It subjugates her to the wearer's will."  
  
"Then why wouldn't she kill us when he ordered her to?"  
  
"Did you run screaming?" Talon asked.  
  
"No, but the diggers did," Evy said, gesturing to the bloody smear near the door.  
  
"There ya go."  
  
"Does this have anything to do with that inscription that's on everything?" Alex gestured at the walls. "Fear not?"  
  
"Fear not? You can be as afraid of her as you want. Where did you come up with that?" Robyn demanded.  
  
"The inscription. It says 'Fear not.' This word means fear, and this means not."  
  
"Well I suppose that's one way to interpret it."  
  
"And how would you interpret it?" Ardeth Bay asked.  
  
"Don't Panic," they chorused.  
  
"Don't panic?" Evelyn said, puzzled.  
  
"Right. Panicking in the face of Ammut would be bad. That's when she can get you. Speaking of which, we should get out of here before your friend discovers that the amulet may let you control her, but it doesn't protect you from her."  
  
"So how do you propose to get us out?" Rick scowled. He still didn't trust these three.  
  
"Well, before we go anywhere, I'm going to have to change," Robyn gestured to her attire. Turning on her heel, she walked to a large picture of Baast. She uttered a soft syllable, and the wall slid open to reveal another chamber beyond.  
  
"How do you know so much of this place?" Ardeth Bay asked, his hand still resting on the pommel of his sword.  
  
The one called Nikki struck a pose, consciously mirroring one of the images on the wall behind her. The resemblance really was striking. She murmured something, and the panel behind her swung open on cleverly concealed hinges.  
  
The pair returned quickly, garbed in clothing more appropriate to desert conditions.  
  
"So? How are you going to get us out of here."  
  
"Well, the easiest way is going to be through the door I think," Robyn said walking towards the offending portal.  
  
"But there's no way to open it."  
  
"Have you tried the doorknob?" She grabbed ahold of a doorknob that hadn't been there a moment ago, and pulled the door open.  
  
"What's with her?" Talon asked Nikki.  
  
"I think she's having a bad day," Nikki replied.  
  
"But she was having fun a minute ago..."  
  
"No, not the Robyn in here. The one out there, writing this down. I betcha anything that there'll be a fight scene soon."  
  
Sure enough, as soon as Robyn stepped out of the cave, followed closely by Rick, a shot rang out, and the sand at their feet exploded with a bullet's impact.  
  
"Oh come on?" She raised her voice so that whoever was out there could hear. "Don't tell me he hired an _incompetent_ assassin."  
  
Rick had used her distraction to scramble back into the shelter of the cave, and was now trying to spot the shooter amongst the sun warmed dunes.  
  
"Get back in here," Evelyn shouted to Robyn.  
  
"Your friend would be wise to return to the shelter of the caves until it is safe," Ardeth Bay said softly to Nikki.  
  
"I don't think Robyn really cares right now. Although she might calm down if you'd go out there and..."  
  
The next shot took Robyn right between the eyes. Evelyn and Alex gasped as she fell to the sand.  
  
"Ah Robyn, that was horrible," Nikki shouted.  
  
"I am sorry for your friend," Ardeth Bay said softly. "Perhaps the strain drove her mad."  
  
"No, she was already mad. She's just really angry."  
  
Everyone but Nikki and Talon gasped as Robyn stood up, and began to rail at their unseen attacker again. "You can do better than that," she shouted.  
  
A moment later, the sand around Robyn began to shift and writhe. A dozen tendrils shot out of the ground at her feet, grasping for her. They struck all at once, and Robyn disappeared underneath their onslaught. Seconds passed, and all was silent. The O'Connell's held their breath, Ardeth Bay got ready to fight, and the two strangers stood motionless and silent radiating eager anticipation.  
  
The sand lost cohesion in an instant and tumbled to the ground leaving Robyn standing unharmed. She shook the remaining sand from her hair, and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Well?" Whatever rage had gripped her before had dimmed to a simmering anger. "Aren't you going to show yourself?" she asked brightly. Ardeth saw a glint moving towards her. He tried to shout out, to warn her, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
"She sees it," Nikki said softly, and he watched as Robyn caught the thrown knife effortlessly.  
  
"I'll take that as a no," Robyn said. "Oh," she exclaimed. "I know. You're shy. Here, let me help you," the sand dune in front of her began to split, each half being pushed outwards, revealing the assassin.  
  
The person facing Robyn was covered from head to toe in a black burnoose. One fold of the headdress had been pulled forward to obscure the assassin's face, leaving only a pair of brown, almond shaped eyes watching Robyn warily. A sand coloured cloak lay on the ground, next to a discarded Mauser 8mm.  
  
The shrouded figure drew a sword from somewhere within the burnoose's folds and strode boldly towards where Robyn stood.  
  
"Shall we?" Robyn asked the silent figure, her own sword suddenly in her hand. The assassin nodded, and saluted Robyn with her sword, a beautifully crafted Chinese style blade, with a blue stone set into the hilt.  
  
They circled each other warily, watching for an opening in their opponent's defences. Nikki and Talon were taking the opportunity to track Ammut's movements. There was barely enough time to indulge Robyn's desire to vent. The O'Connell's watched as the black-clad warrior moved in, attempting to stagger Robyn with lightening-fast blows.  
  
"Someone must really want you dead," Nikki said to Rick.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up from the scuffed trail he was trying to follow.  
  
"This assassin isn't just a crack shot. We're looking at a killer with some pretty esoteric skills here.  
  
"There's something wrong with the way he moves. But I can't quite put my finger on it."  
  
"He's trying to breach Robyn's shields again. He's pretty good."  
  
"Is she a witch then?" Ardeth Bay asked, appearing almost silently at Nikki's shoulder.  
  
"Witch?" Rick wondered, watching the two figures battle on the sand.  
  
"Robyn? No," Nikki said. Just then Talon arrived, and confirmed what everyone had feared.  
  
"I found their trail. They're headed for Cairo," he moved towards the sound of steel on steel.  
  
"C'mon Robyn, let's go," Tal said.  
  
"Wait Tal. She's not playing with him, this is for real," Nikki said, eyes wide as their speed increased. The broke apart, and Robyn smiled.  
  
"You're not too shabby," she said, and her opponent bowed mockingly. "But I'd much rather continue this face-to-face." The black-clad warrior's headdress went flying, and they realized that Robyn's opponent was a young Asian woman.  
  
"You are not so bad either," she said with a genuine smile. "It isn't often I have to work for my money. Please, shall we continue?"  
  
"As much as I would love to continue this, I'm sorry to say we haven't got time. We have to stop your employer, at least I assume he's your employer, and his new friend from destroying the world."  
  
"Really? The world? That's really too bad."  
  
"Is there any way we can convince you to renege on your contract? I'd really hate for us to have to kill you before we've had a chance to finish this."  
  
"And what makes you think that I would care to renege on my contract?"  
  
"Why?" Robyn was incredulous. "Because it would be a heck of a lot more fun to help us hunt down an unkillable bringer of destruction and save the world, that shoot a couple of mortals and wait to see if the world comes to an end."  
  
"Hey, Robyn. Carrot," Tal said, almost too softly to hear.  
  
"How about this..." Robyn paused, waiting for the other woman's name.  
  
"Keahi."  
  
"How about this Keahi? I'll pay you twice your contract _not_ to kill them. And I'll hire you to kill this Redman guy."  
  
"You'd pay me three times my fee, and you don't even know how much that is? Just to get me to do this your way? Why?"  
  
"The stick," Talon said under his breath.  
  
"Because the world would really suck if everyone was dead."  
  
"What, everyone?"  
  
"Yeah. Once Redman looses control of Ammut, and he will, she'll just kill everyone.  
  
"No more coffee?" Keahi's eyes grew wide.  
  
"Not unless you know how to cultivate coffee beans."  
  
"Redman, your days are counted."  
  
"Numbered. The saying is 'your days are numbered.'"  
  
"Really?" The pair turned to join the others.  
  
"Apparently," Robyn shrugged as she returned Keahi's headdress.  
  
"Wow, Mandarin is so much easier to understand."  
  
On their way to the truck, Ardeth Bay fell behind to speak with Robyn.  
  
"Your swordsmanship is impressive," he said gravely. Robyn glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Is that the only thing?"  
  
"Robyn, you are shameless," Nikki laughed as they reached the truck and climbed in the back. Talon rode in the front, directing Rick along Ammut's trail.  
  
"It's a good thing we're on the west bank," Nikki said.  
  
"Yeah, and that Cairo is mostly on the east."  
  
"Why is that important?" Ardeth Bay asked.  
  
"We found out last time that she's not as powerful on the eastern side of the river. I think it has something to do with her association with death, but I'm not sure. I just can't believe, after all the warnings we left, that anyone would go through with this. I mean, I'm impressed that you got through our little hurdles and all, but..."  
  
"You have fought the creature before?" Ardeth Bay looked from Nikki to Talon, and finally came to rest on Robyn. Talon's chuckle would be heard through the small open window that connected the cab of the truck to the back.  
  
"But... that room hasn't been disturbed in almost 4000 years," Alex said.  
  
"Oh wow," Nikki said.  
  
"If we had figured," Robyn continued.  
  
"After that entrance..."  
  
"And my little stunt earlier..."  
  
"That you still thought we were human..."  
  
"We would have rephrased that."  
  
There was a pause while everyone thought about this.  
  
"So, you're not human?" Keahi asked, her almost expressionless face betraying a hint of eagerness.  
  
"Not exactly. A long time ago I was known in these parts as Bastet. And that, of course," she pointed at Nikki. "Would be my other aspect, Sekhmet."  
  
"Why am I always _your_ other aspect?"  
  
"Because I was here first."  
  
"You're only older by about 150 years."  
  
"Doesn't matter..."  
  
"Wait," Evelyn interrupted. "Are you trying to tell us that you're gods?"  
  
"No. Not gods, just not human."  
  
"And you've been around for 4000 years?" Alex asked.  
  
"A bit longer than that," Nikki said. "But yeah."  
  
"And what about you?" Rick asked the young-seeming man next to him.  
  
"What about me?" he replied with a grin.  
  
"Are you like them?" Rick indicated the girls with a jerk of his head.  
  
"_No one_ is like them. But no, I'm not human either."  
  
There was a lull in the conversation as the truck rattled down a dry stream bed. Keahi fidgeted with her headdress for a moment and replaced her veil. For a heartless assassin, she seemed kind of uncomfortable.  
  
Alex stared for a moment, then gasped.  
  
"You're the dancer, the one from the hotel the other night," he exclaimed.  
  
The strange woman's eyes, once again the only part of her that was visible, grew wide.  
  
"What makes you say that?" she asked warily.  
  
"Your eyes."  
  
"What about them?" the eyes in question narrowed dangerously.  
  
Alex blushed and looked at the floor. "They're very pretty," he mumbled.  
  
It grew dark quickly, but Rick assured them that they would be stopping soon. On their way in he had noticed a wadi that would make a suitable campsite. The canvas covered truck bed was cast into Stygian blackness as the sun dropped below the horizon. After a moment, the truck was lit with a soft glow. The light emanated from a yellow globe hovering a few inches above the palm of Keahi's hand. She allowed the globe to float to the roof, muttered a few syllables, and nodded silently to herself when the globe stayed anchored where she'd put it.  
  
"That wasn't a Chinese light spell," Nikki said softly. "It sounded Polynesian."  
  
"Hawaiian. I was born in Hawaii. But my mother was from Benjin."  
  
Rick pulled the truck off the road, and into the dry stream bed he had noticed earlier. The serpentine motion of the long-dry stream had left an easily defensible hollow nestled in among the rocks.  
  
With eight people helping, the camp was scouted fairly quickly. They weren't staying long enough to bother with the tents, so they built a large fire to keep them warm through the frigid desert night.  
  
While Robyn took over the dinner preparations, Nikki filled them in on what they knew of Ammut's history.  
  
"As long as someone wears the amulet, Ammut can only destroy on command. Although if you can keep from panicking, you'll be fine.  
  
"What I don't think your friend Redman knows, is that wearing the amulet might control her, but it doesn't protect you from her. If he panics, for any reason, she'll turn on him faster than you can say Nebkheperure Tutankhamen.  
  
"And once she's no longer under his control, well, it won't be pretty. And it doesn't help that she can't be killed, and least not by anything we've tried. She doesn't like fire, but it doesn't really hurt her. The only option is to send her back to the underworld, but for that we need the amulet."  
  
"Where does the pot come into all of this?" Rick asked.  
  
Robyn began handing out plates. "We can open the portal with the bowl, it is the key after all, but we need the amulet to force her through it." She sat handed Keahi a plate with a hamburger and some salad on it.  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't eat meats. I gave it up after my uncle died. It's a Buddhist kind of a thing."  
  
Robyn shrugged and, without a word, transferred the hamburger to Talon's already empty plate.  
  
"And yet," Evelyn said. "You kill people for money."  
  
"Oh well. I've gotta make a living and I don't want to be bored to death..."  
  
Robyn sat down between Keahi and Ardeth Bay and applied herself to her own dinner.  
  
"Tal, there's another burger on the grill if you're still hungry."  
  
"Actually, I think I'll wait until after the dinner theatre is over. I'll probably be hungry again by then."  
  
"Dinner theatre?"  
  
A rasping sound from down the dry stream bed drew them to their feet, weapons at the ready.  
  
"Ah, the entertainers have arrived," Nikki said as the first desiccated corpse rounded the bend.  
  
"Not mummies," Rick groaned. "I hate mummies."  
  
"I think 'skeletons' would be a more accurate description Rick," Evelyn said as Rick handed her a shotgun.  
  
Their attackers consisted of all manner of corpses, obviously dragged out of the sand by Ammut's magic. Some might have been dead for centuries, what little flesh remained preserved by the desert, others still buzzed with eager insects. Nowhere among them was a human warrior. Lions walked next to antelope, who strode fearlessly next to crocodiles.  
  
"The antelope I can kinda understand, but why a duck?" Robyn asked.  
  
"What duck?" Alex asked, peering past his father into the dark.  
  
"I suppose," Talon laughed. "I suppose they could nibble us to death."  
  
A flash of light momentarily blinded the group. When their sight returned, they found that the creatures at the head of the group had burst into flames.  
  
"Not bad," Nikki said, turning to Keahi. "That was you wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes. I didn't think they'd catch fire like that."  
  
"Well. Should we shed a little more light on the subject?" Talon asked as he came to stand between Robyn and Keahi.  
  
"Please, allow me," Robyn said with a smile. A moment later the duck rose into the air flapping angrily. It bumped into a burning lion, where it became a frustrated, quacking ball of flames.  
  
"Yay," Nikki said cheerfully. "Pinball."  
  
The pyrotechnic waterfowl began to ricochet between the advancing creatures, setting each alight as it passed.  
  
"There, now we have enough light to see the dark by," Robyn laughed as one of the drier creatures, a camel, collapsed in a shower of sparks. A few of the fresher specimens stopped burning as the hair ran out, but the smell of cooking meat soon overwhelmed the scorch of burning hair.  
  
"Now _I'm_ hungry again," Robyn said as the shuffling hoard reached their line.  
  
"Do any of you lunatics know how to stop these things?" Rick yelled over the roar of his shotgun.  
  
"Oh, didn't we say?" Nikki asked innocently. "You just have to decapitate them."  
  
"Although apparently fire works as well. We need marshmallows." Robyn laughed as she deftly sidestepped a kicking antelope and lopped its hind legs off at the ankles.  
  
Talon began to run through the closely packed creatures, beheading them with practiced ease. Nikki followed close behind, laughing brightly, enjoying the chance to metaphorically let down her hair. Robyn stood where she was and let them come to her.  
  
The drier creatures were as likely to succumb to the fire as to the assorted blades ranged against them. They really only had to worry about those too wet to burn. Soon the creatures were beset on all sides as their prey scattered and turned the tables on them.  
  
Ardeth Bay plowed through the flames, never stopping long enough for Ammut's minions to react before he had dispatched one and moved on to the next. He found himself facing off against one of the ferocious Nile crocodiles, that had somehow managed to drag itself all the way from the river on only two legs. Regardless of its deficiency however, the snapping jaws and lashing tail were still deadly threats. In order to get close enough to stop the beast, he would have to come within reach of it's crushing, vice-like grip.  
  
Not far away, Ardeth could see the O'Connell's, facing off against a pair of lions, a male with a broken back, and a female with a gaping hole in her ribcage. The strange young man and their erstwhile assassin were fighting off most of a skeletal rhinoceros that peered myopically at them from empty eye sockets. The only other creature remaining was a water-buffalo being double-teamed by Nikki and Robyn.  
  
A movement out of the corner of his eye brought all of Ardeth's attention back to his own opponent. The crocodile whipped its head to the side, trying to catch him unawares. The Medjai jumped out of reach, his sword raking across its armoured snout. Its tail lashed out with bone crushing force, missing him by inches, and crashing into one of the pillars of rock that rose out of the sand, bringing it crumbling to the ground.  
  
The water-buffalo thundered past, trampling the thrashing crocodile on its way by. Ardeth noticed that Nikki had somehow vaulted onto the beast's back, and was decapitating it from the only place it couldn't fight back. Its mad dash had distracted Ardeth's opponent just long enough for him to leap in and drive his sword point-first through the armour-plated folds of its neck. It flailed madly, trying to dislodge the upstart mammal that dared attack it.   
  
The creature snapped its head, trying to pull Ardeth off its back, but he held doggedly onto his sword. Robyn stepped in close to the creature's jaws, and it struggled frantically to attack her.  
  
"Get back," Ardeth gasped, still trying to hold onto his sword, despite the beast's thrashing.  
  
"Ardeth Bay," she stood very still, just out of the crocodile's reach. "Your ancestors once worshipped me as a god. Do you think a little thing like a dead crocodile can kill me?" Her hair and clothes began to whip around her in a nonexistent wind, and her eyes seemed to be lit from within as she raised her hands in front of her. One hand pointed to Ardeth, and he felt himself being lifted from his precarious position. A moment later he stood next to the O'Connells, and watched as the Crocodile stopped thrashing, held in her power. It rose above the ground, his sword rising with it, until it floated a few feet above the sand. The Medjai's sword began to move slowly, twisting within the ragged wound the beast's struggles had made. It stopped briefly, as though stuck, and then spun in a circle, decapitating the creature with one swift cut. The two pieces fell to the ground, and Ardeth's sword floated towards him, hilt first. It hovered in front of him for a moment before he plucked it out of the air, and turned to look at Robyn again.  
  
The unearthly wind no longer plucked at her hair and clothing, and the glow was fading from her eyes as she stepped towards where Ardeth stood. The others gathered around where he stood, Nikki and Talon the only ones without some sort of shock in their face.  
  
"Show off," Nikki said, shattering the silence that held the group. Robyn turned to her and stuck out her tongue, destroying the image of the vengeful and powerful goddess that had stood before them a moment before.  
  
"How do you do that?" Alex demanded.  
  
"Do what?" Robyn asked innocently.  
  
"Go from being the scary otherworldly goddess to being an immature, slightly annoying, yet completely unoffensive..." his hands flailed wildly as he searched for the right word.  
  
"Person? Thing?" her friends volunteered.  
  
"I am what I am."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question," Alex said, exasperated.  
  
"It's the best you're going to get." She turned and walked back towards the fire. "I'm hungry again."  
  
"You're doing it again," Alex mumbled, frustrated.  
  
Before long, they were all seated around the campfire again, enjoying another round of Robyn's delicious meal (if I do say so myself). All except Keahi, who took a long pull from the canteen at her side, and a small package of dried dates. Robyn watched the Asian woman, as her assassin's eyes took in everything that went on around her. She turned away with a smile, and found Ardeth watching her intently.  
  
"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked, with a smile and a wink. Ardeth looked startled, and then smiled.  
  
"You aren't really a goddess, are you?" he asked, turning to look into the fire.  
  
"No. I tried to tell you that before."  
  
"And yet you say that my ancestors worshipped you."  
  
"If they had seen what you did today... what would they have thought? I am not very good at hiding what I am. Especially not when someone is in danger."  
  
"Then what are you? If you are not a goddess, but not a human?"  
  
"An elf."  
  
Ardeth shot her a confused look, and she chuckled. "Nikki and I are the only ones of our kind here. I come from somewhere so far away that I don't even know how to get back. We have lived among your people..."  
  
"My people?"  
  
"Humans. We have lived among humans for almost..." she looked up into the sky, as though the stars could tell her the answer. "I have lived here for over twelve thousand years."  
  
"Twelve thousand?" he breathed, amazed. "With only you two of your kind? What of your friend Talon? Is he not one of your people?"  
  
"No," she smiled softly. "Talon is just... Talon." They both stared at the dancing flames for a moment, lost in thought.  
  
"I'm surprised the Medjai are so much the same, after so many centuries," Robyn said softly, still looking to the fire.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ardeth asked, turning back to her.  
  
"Your tattoos," she said, reaching out and brushing her thumb gently across the ink that marked his cheek. "After 3000 years, you still honour the vow your ancestors made to their Pharaoh so long ago." Ardeth pulled slowly away from her hand.  
  
"We bear a great responsibility. But someone must protect the earth from those evils no longer believed to exist."  
  
Robyn smiled at the vehemence in his voice, and moved close enough that he could see himself reflected in her eyes. "So... do the Medjai still wear _all_ the tattoos?"  
  
Nikki smiled to herself, and turned back to her own interrogation.  
  
"So, you're Sekhmet? The goddess of vengeance?"  
  
"I used to be. But that was a long time ago, even for me."  
  
"Was Robyn telling the truth? Are you really 12,000 years old?" Rick asked, incredulous.  
  
"Robyn thinks lying is too easy. She says its more of a challenge to tell the truth and get away with it."  
  
"Okay," Rick turned and gave Robyn a strange look. "Anyway, what's with the legend about Sekhmet trying to destroy the human race?"  
  
"Oh come on," Nikki said with a sigh. "Does _everyone_ have to bring that up? They pissed me off okay? And anyway, the whole incident was blown way out of proportion. I mean, they had about 2000 years to make the story sound more impressive."  
  
"I don't think I want to know," Rick said.  
  
Nikki turned and looked quizzically at Keahi. "You aren't human either, are you? I mean, you did some stuff back there in your fight with Robyn that no human mage could do."  
  
"My mother was human. I don't know about my father. I never knew him."  
  
"Okay... so how old are you?"  
  
"Over 150. I've never met anyone older than me before..."  
  
"It won't happen that often."  
  
"We should all get some rest," Evelyn said, yawning. "We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."  
  
"Keahi and I'll take first watch," Nikki said.  
  
"And I'll take the last watch," Robyn said. "Dawn's a pretty standard time for an enemy to attack and, no offence," she looked towards the humans. "But my eyesight is better than yours."  
  
"I will take the dawn watch with you," Ardeth Bay said. "Two sets of eyes are better than one."  
  
Rick gave his friend a startled look, but said nothing. The remaining watches were dividing up, and those not on the first watch fell asleep to the soft murmur of Nikki and Keahi as they continued their mutual interrogation.  
  


* * *

  
  
The next morning dawned clear and early, and the group awoke to discover Ardeth and Robyn sitting back to back on Ardeth's cloak, conversing quietly in Arabic.  
  
"Any trouble?" Rick asked, scanning the horizon for danger.  
  
"Nothing," Ardeth said as he stood, stretching to ease tense muscles. He removed his _agal_ head cloth, and ran his fingers through his hair, thanking Rick absently for the cup of coffee his friend pressed into his hand. Rick turned, and noticed Robyn watching Ardeth with a smile. He crouched down next to her, and offered her a cup of coffee as well.  
  
She accepted the cup without looking at it. When Rick left, she was still sitting, watching surreptitiously. A moment later, Keahi knelt down next to where Robyn sat, a hopeful expression on her face.  
  
"Nikki said you might not want your coffee. If you don't... can I have it?"  
  
Robyn looked vaguely down into the battered tin cup she held in her hands, then turned to look intently into Keahi's face. After a moment of scrutiny, she silently handed the cup to Keahi who accepted it reverently, careful not to spill a drop. Robyn stood slowly, chuckling at the contented sigh that escaped Keahi's lips.  
  
Strolling over to the dying fire, she joined her friends, accepting a cup of tea from Nikki. They stood for a moment, watching the horizon, wondering where Ammut's next attack would come from.  
  
"She should've attacked again by now," Nikki said as the others approached the fire.  
  
"Redman must be in a hurry to get somewhere. We'll have to get moving. I just hope he doesn't get himself eaten before we catch up with him," Robyn sighed, and poured the dregs of her tea out onto the sand. "Doesn't anyone have any idea where he'd be going? Is he alone in this?"  
  
"He said something, just before he attacked us in the temple. Something about the Fatherland," Alex said.  
  
"He paid me in Marks," Keahi said, eyes narrowing.  
  
"Didn't he go to Berlin for his grandmother's funeral last fall?" Rick asked Evelyn. She nodded silently.  
  
A strong breeze began to blow unexpectedly, and Ardeth turned, confused. Usually a storm like this came with more warning.  
  
"We must get into the truck," Ardeth yelled to be heard over the growing howl of the wind. Everyone ran for the dubious shelter of the canvas covered truck bed, grabbing anything they could on their way. They barely managed to reach the truck before the wind began to start driving the sand before it.  
  
Everyone was now safe inside the truck, but the sand was finding its way through every gap in the canvas. They worked as best they could, blocking gaps with whatever was available. Keahi sat down with a sigh, and picked up the almost empty coffeepot.  
  
With eight people, and enough gear for a season's digging, the space was extremely cramped. They all crowded around, using a crate as a table, and tried to work out what Redman was up to.  
  
"I think we can safely say he's working for a German backer, but... what's the ultimate goal?" Rick wondered. "Have any of you heard much about the Fuhrer of Germany?" Talon asked. When the rest of the group shook their heads, he continued. "Word is he's interested in relics. Powerful relics."  
  
"Word from who?" Robyn asked with a grin and a raised eyebrow. Talon grinned, and shrugged. The only sound in the truck was the steady tapping of his boot heel against the floor.  
  
"Well, that answers that question..." Robyn shook her head.  
  
"How?" Rick wondered as he tried valiantly to get the sand out of his shotgun.  
  
"You don't want to know, trust me," Nikki said. "But it means that stopping Ammut is going to be even more extreme than we thought."  
  
"What could be more extreme than the utter destruction of all life on Earth?" Ardeth By asked, as the O'Connell's sighed and shook their heads.  
  
"Is he always like this?" Nikki asked, wide-eyed.  
  
"Pretty much," Alex sighed.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Admittedly there aren't that many things worse, but I suppose I can see how the destruction of all life on Earth could be a bit upsetting for you. I kind of like the place myself," Talon said with a smile.  
  
"It does have a few redeeming qualities," Robyn chuckled.  
  
Evelyn stood and moved to the back of the truck, "sounds like the storm's died down," she said as she untied the flap. A shower of sand sparkled in the sun as she lifted the canvas. "But I think we're going to be stuck here for a while."  
  
Everyone piled out of the truck, to see what damage had been done. The truck itself was buried up to its fenders in sand, and their camp was gone, swept away by the wind, or buried in the sand.  
  
"This is gonna take forever," Alex groaned. "We'll never catch up with them if we have to dig out."  
  
Robyn looked at Nikki, then up at the sun, which was alarmingly high in the sky. She turned back to Nikki, who nodded.  
  
"Keahi," she said with a sigh. "Can you call up a wind to blow the sand away?"  
  
"Of course, but it will just blow in more."  
  
"Let me worry about that. Just be ready to call it up when Nikki tells you to. You might want to stand out of the way," Robyn said to Ardeth and the O'Connells.  
  
"Well, this should be interesting," Talon said.  
  
"Why? What are they going to do?"  
  
"You'll see," he said, moving to stand a little ways off. Rick looked to see if he was out of earshot, then turned to talk to his friend.  
  
"Do you trust them?" he asked.  
  
"You trusted me after less."  
  
"True. Have you seen her watching you?"  
  
"She watches everything, her gaze misses nothing."  
  
"Now," Nikki yelled, and the two men turned to see what was happening.  
  
The truck was hovering about two feet above the sand, and a strong wind was pushing the sand underneath. The truck wavered for a moment, and dropped a few inches.  
  
"Almost done. Just a few more seconds," Keahi yelled above the wind.  
  
"Guess Robyn doesn't think we have time to dig the truck out," Talon said with a grin. "Last time I saw her attempt to lift something like this, well... it's the only time I've ever seen an elephant fifty feet across and a half an inch thick..."  
  
"Done," Keahi yelled as the wind died down. The truck lowered slowly, jerkily, to the ground. The shocks groaned as they accepted their load once more, but the problem had been solved in five minutes instead of an hour. Everyone began to move towards the truck, they had a lot of ground to cover, and not much time to cover it in. Robyn however, began to sway on her feet, and then to fall, very slowly, face first.  
  
"I wish she'd teach me how to do that. That's so cool," Talon said as they all rushed forward. Ardeth caught her just before she collapsed and she smiled tiredly up at him.  
  
"Thank-you," she accepted his help to stand and they all piled into the truck. With Rick once again at the wheel, they were soon on their way. Talon handed a chocolate bar to the back, where Robyn accepted it gratefully and unwrapped it with shaky hands.  
  
"Oh, my favorite," she sighed. "Thanks Tal."  
  
"We must contact my people. The creature must be stopped. If, as you suspect, this Redman plans to hand over control to someone else, then we must find _them_."  
  
"I agree," Rick said. "But they won't want to travel too far into the country, they'd be too noticeable."  
  
"They'll want a demonstration," Keahi said. Everyone turned to stare. "What? If someone was trying to sell me a mythological creature to use as a weapon, I'd want proof. Wouldn't you?"  
  
"So they'll need a place close to the delta, close to a city..."  
  
"Cairo," Evelyn said.  
  
"The west bank," Ardeth agreed. "There are many places where they could arrange such a meeting. And they could keep the creature hidden safely until it became safe to book passage to Germany."  
  
"We'll need a lot of help to cover that kind of an area."  
  
"So," Rick said from behind the wheel. "We're headed for the Medjai camp. But which way is that from here?"  
  
"That way," Robyn said, pointing about 45 to the left of their current course. The absolute certainty in her voice prompted Rick to follow her course correction.  
  
"How do you know where their camp is?" Alex asked. "We were just there a couple of days ago, but I'm so turned around I don't think I could find it with a map.  
  
Robyn gave Alex an enigmatic smile, and said nothing.  
  
"Bastet was was know as the goddess of secrets," Evelyn said, reviewing her knowledge of the ancient Egyptian pantheon.  
  
"Don't believe everything you read," Nikki said with a smile that was a mirror image of Robyn's.  
  


* * *

  
  
"_Master, they no longer follow_," Ammut informed Redman softly.  
  
"Good. But I want you to dispose of them anyway. That damned bitch obviously wasn't as good as she thought. What a waste of money."  
  
"_Yes Master_," Ammut crouched in the corner of the necropolis Redman had chosen to wait out the unexpected sandstorm.  
  
"Isn't there anything you can do?"  
  
"_Shall I call up the Sacred Warriors of the Nile to deal with them Master?_"  
  
"I don't care what you do, as long as you get rid of them before my meeting with the investors.  
  
"I just wish I knew why they brought that damned Bedouin. He wasn't at all surprised when you appeared. None of them were."  
  
"_No Master_."  
  


* * *

  
  
On the banks of the Nile, the crocodiles lay sunning themselves, as they had since time out of mind. For the crocodile the world was as it had always been: eat, sleep, and go looking for a crikey sheila.  
  
A spot along the riverbank began to bubble and boil, and one of the crocodiles was swallowed up in the mud. Within seconds, the bank was deserted; crocodiles are an old race, and know trouble when they see it. The unlucky reptile bobbed to the surface for a moment, a meaty chunk in a mystical Jambolaya, before it was sucked back into the silty banks of the river.  
  
The mud began to take shape on the bank, forming feet, then moving upwards to calves and knees. It flowed upwards, the dark mud of the river taking human shape. The heads, as they formed, were not human however. Like Sobek, the water god from whose banks they were formed, they had the heads of sacred crocodiles. They formed quickly from the Nile mud, until a small army stood upon the river's banks. Like lifeless statues they stood, staring sightlessly forward, in rank upon rank, hundreds strong. They turned suddenly, as one, and began to march away from the riverbank.  
  


* * *

  
  
After several hours, Robyn still wouldn't tell them how she knew where they were going, or how close they were. They were getting close to the river, they could see the verdant jungle that followed the snaking path of the Nile in the distance. The truck rounded a dune, and they were set upon by an army of crocodile-headed warriors, armed with razer-sharp bronze weapons. Rick and Talon barely had time to warn the others before the truck was surrounded, and the bronze blades were tearing through the canvas. It wasn't long before the cover was hanging in tatters, and the defenders were under siege from all sides. Climbing out through the small cab window, Rick and Talon barely made it before a pair of the crocodile warriors ripped the engine out of the truck in an attempt to destroy them. The two men quickly joined the others in defending their little piece of high ground.  
  
Many of the crocodile-men had to abandon their weapons quickly, the bronze quickly loosing its effectiveness against the steel weapons of the defenders. This did not leave them weaponless however. Those who no longer fought with swords, attacked with tooth and nail, literally.   
  
The warriors advanced slowly, and there was nothing the beleaguered archeologists could do to stop them. The creatures seemed indestructible; severed limbs regrew in seconds, cuts and slashes closed almost as soon as they had been opened, even the tried and true monster-killing technique of decapitation only slowed them down temporarily.  
  
Rick pulled weapon after weapon out of his dufflebag, searching for anything that would stop them. Talon was doing the same, pulling a bizarre and amazing array of weapons from nowhere. Between them they tried everything from sharp sticks to edged weapons, and guns to dynamite. Talon even tried some kind of gun that shot beams of read light, all to no effect.  
  
"Don't you know how to stop these things?" Evy yelled to Talon, who fought next to her.  
  
"Nope, never seen these guys in my life," he replied.  
  
"I thought you've fought Ammut before. Hell, I thought you were supposed to be gods," Rick yelled, hacking at the strange creatures with a machete.  
  
"Yeah, well," Robyn said as several of the creatures were picked up and thrown several yards away. "Complain to the union."  
  
The crocodile-men were relentless, if one was pushed back, another quickly took its place. The humans were soon covered in shallow cuts, and their clothes hung in tatters, ripped apart by the razor-sharp claws and teeth of their opponents. They were too numerous for them to fight  
  
Everyone was too tired now to waste energy talking. The desert around them was silent, except for the clash of metal on metal and, every once in a while, a hiss of pain as someone left an opening the croc-men could exploit.  
  
Keahi occasionally threw some kind of battle spell at the creatures. Sometimes they would fall back, crackling with unearthly energy, only to return unharmed to fight again. Others paused briefly as their weapons sparked and melted in their hands. No matter what was thrown at them, they kept coming back.  
  
Several people cried out as Alex was pulled off the truck. Ardeth Bay jumped down, trying to locate the boy in the press of the enemy. Evelyn screamed, a wordless howl of primal fear and rage. She started throwing things off the truck, hoping to clear away for her son. In one instant Ardeth Bay yelled out, and one of the croc-men skewered the water jug the Evy had heaved over the side of the truck. The jug burst, spilling its contents on the unlucky reptilian. It collapsed instantly into a puddle of mud in the burning desert sand. As the other creatures backed away from the puddled remains of their fellow, those surrounding Ardeth and Alex were thrown backwards with a gesture from Robyn.  
  
"Water," Rick yelled. "It's the water," he grabbed another jug of water and threw it as high above the crocodile warriors as he could. Talon, seeing his intent yelled "Pull," and destroyed the container as it sailed above their heads, creating a short shower, destroying a few more of the monsters.  
  
"We need more water," Robyn yelled, jumping down to stand next to Ardeth, protecting the unconscious Alex. "Kea, Tal, think you can come up with something?"  
  
Keahi lifted her hands towards the sky and began to chant. They could see dark clouds forming above the river in the distance, but they could tell it was going to take some time. Talon meanwhile, had pulled another strange looking weapon from somewhere. Brightly coloured bubbles extended upwards from the stock, and it sloshed as he moved. He pumped it a few times, and let fly with a high pressure stream of water that cut through the crocodile men like a hot knife through butter. As soon as the water touched one of the creatures, it would begin to dissolve, leaving behind a patch of Nile mud, steaming gently in the heat of the desert sun. But there were far too many of them, even for Talon's strange weapon to dispatch. The others were forced to continue chopping ineffectually at the creatures with swords, hoping to hold them off until Keahi's cloud arrived.  
  
"Hurry," Rick yelled as another croc-man attacked, trying to pull him down off the truck.  
  
"Here it comes," Keahi replied, turning to hack at the warrior in front of her.  
  
For a moment, everything was still, even the croc-men. Then, the sky opened up and the rain began to fall, a torrential downpour that wiped out all of the remaining golems in moments.  
  
Robyn knelt down and checked Alex, reassuring his mother that he was fine. "He's just unconscious. He'll wake up in a few minutes."  
  
For a while, everyone just stood there, letting the rain wash away the sand, the blood, the fatigue.  
  
"Is that what it was like?" Rick asked, climbing down from the truck. "Fighting the Anubis warriors?"  
  
"No," Ardeth replied quietly, sheathing his sword. "We knew how to kill the Anubis warriors," he pressed his hand to his side, and it came away red with blood.  
  
"Ardeth, are you alright?" Evelyn asked as Robyn pulled a rag from her pocket and held it to his side, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.  
  
"I will be fine."  
  
"C'mon," Nikki said, helping Rick to lift the unconscious Alex. "It's not far now," Evy, Talon and Keahi scavenged what the could from the truck, and in a few minutes they were following Nikki's directions. Alex recovered enough to to walk, with a little help from his father, not long after they set out, and Nikki took the lead. She scouted out the best route, soon bringing them to the cool shade of the trees.  
  
By now, Ardeth was leaning heavily on Robyn, and everyone was getting a little worried.  
  
"Finally," Nikki sighed. Rick and Evelyn shot her a questioning look, and she pointed down the trail. A moment later they heard it, hoof beats approaching at a gallop. A half a dozen Medjai pulled their horses to a halt in front of the group, and the leader challenged them in Arabic. Without a word, Robyn helped Ardeth to the front of the group. The lead rider took one look as his wounded chieftain, and began to apologize profusely.   
  
"Don't be sorry. Give us your horse," Robyn demanded. The embarrassed Medjai dismounted, and held his mount while Robyn climbed up and settled Ardeth in front of her. Once they were under way, Robyn swiveled around. "Tal, do you have one of your special first-aid kits? I think he's going to need some special medical attention."  
  
"Is that what they're calling it now?" Nikki said to herself.  
  
It didn't take them long to reach the Medjai camp, now that Ardeth was no longer slowing them down. Then Medjai scout leader lead his horse straight to the flap of Ardeth's tent. Robyn was aware of the Medjai watching their leader, who was sitting all but unconscious in front of her on the horse.  
  
"They must not see weakness," he whispered.  
  
"I understand," she replied quietly. She dismounted carefully. The Medjai who had returned with them were surprised to see Ardeth dismount so gracefully on his own. He stood, surveying his men while Robyn accepted the first-aid kit from Talon.  
  
"Ali, you will see to the comfort of our guests. I believe we could all use some rest. Please have the healer see to their wounds."  
  
"And you sir?" now that Robyn was no longer putting pressure on the wound, blood was soaking through Ardeth's robes.  
  
"My small skill as a healer will be enough for this," Robyn said. "Please have someone bring water and bandages," she waited a moment while Ardeth snapped out a few orders, and lead the way into the tent.  
  
As soon as the flap fell shut behind them, Robyn returned to Ardeth's side.  
  
"Thank-you," he said as she settled him on the cushions next to the brazier. Robyn quickly removed his headdress and boots, settling everything where Ardeth indicated. When a young Medjai arrived with a jug of water and bandages, everything looked the way it would if Ardeth hadn't been injured. Robyn thanked him, and bustled him quickly outside. As soon as he was gone, she set some of the water on to boil and unbuckled his sword belt.  
  
"Wait," he said, grabbing her wrist as she reached to remove his outer robe. She stopped, kneeling next to him. "When you fell..." he looked at her with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Your eyes?"  
  
"I must have been more tired than I thought," she closed her eyes, and opened them again slowly. She now looked at Ardeth out of eyes with elliptical pupils like a cat's. "Can I look at your wound now?" Her pupils began to change, rounding out again.  
  
"Leave them," Ardeth said, releasing her wrist. Her pupils elongated again, and he nodded. She quickly divested him of his outer robe and his tunic, and sat back on her heels to contemplate the wound. Ardeth took a deep breath and looked as well.  
  
Robyn took a wet rag and gently wiped away the blood, revealing bloody gashes one of the crocodile men had left behind.  
  
"I'm ready," he said, closing his eyes.  
  
"Ready for what?" Robyn asked, still cleaning the wound.  
  
"To die. I have no regrets. Except that the creature yet lives."  
  
"Is that it?" Robyn turned to him with a questioning look.  
  
"Perhaps one other."  
  
"We'll have to do something about dealing with those Medjai," she said, rummaging through the first-aid kit on the rug next to her. After a moment she pulled out a small jar with a label on it in a language Ardeth had never seen.  
  
"This is going to hurt a little," she said as she opened the jar. He nodded his understanding, and she began to apply the ointment.  
  
It only hurt for a moment, but it was almost like receiving the wound again. Robyn fussed with the kettle while he regained his composure, fixing a glass of tea with leaves she pulled from the first-aid kit. While it was steeping, she moved back and cleaned his wound with a fresh cloth, and he was amazed to discover that it no longer hurt. He sat up to accept the tea Robyn offered.  
  
"How?" he touched the faint scar that had, a moment ago, been a life-threatening injury.  
  
"Magic," she shrugged. "The tea will help you regain your strength. You lost a lot of blood. So," she changed the subject quickly. "Is there any particular reason for the superhuman show of strength out there? The last time I had contact with the Medjai, the leadership was a birthright."  
  
"It is. But one of my men has been undermining my authority. He is not in camp right now, I sent him to discourage a group of archeologists digging near Hamunaptra. He hopes to be chieftain after me."  
  
"Is he kin to you?"  
  
"No. He is an orphan my cousin Jalil took in, because he had no children."  
  
"So he hasn't got a snowball's chance?"  
  
Ardeth laughed at her colloquialism. "No. I will have to fight him someday, but not today."  
  
Robyn was about to say something, but Ardeth silenced her with a finger to her lips.  
  
"I've seen you, watching me," she smiled as he spoke, brushing the tattoo on his cheek lightly with her fingertips.  
  
"I wasn't exactly being subtle."  
  
"No," he kissed her gently, tangling his fingers in her red-brown hair. She chuckled breathlessly.  
  
"Let's get you out of those bloody clothes..."  
  


* * *

  
  
Nikki laughed to herself, shook her head, and returned her attention to the card game she and Talon were having with Keahi. The O'Connells had fallen asleep almost as soon as the Medjai healer had tended their wounds.  
  
"Five aces," Talon said, laying his cards down on the table.  
  
"No way," Nikki laughed. "The Fool doesn't count as an ace."  
  
"Sure it does," he protested. "It's the 'one' of the Major Arcana. That makes it an ace."  
  
"He's right," Keahi said. "Five suits, five aces. I never would have thought to play poker with tarot cards."  
  
"No? We play with Robyn's all the time. She says they tell a more accurate fortune that way. But sometimes she says things like that," Talon laughed as he scooped up all the pebbles they had been using as tokens.  
  
"So, how long have you been in Egypt?" Nikki asked Keahi as she shuffled the cards and dealt again.  
  
"About fifty years on and off. So, what's with Robyn?"  
  
"Robyn?" Nikki shook her head again. "She has a thing for the tall, dark, long-haired, handsome, hero-type. Y'know," Nikki said to Talon. "Fritters is going to be mad she wasn't along for this trip. Rick and Ardeth would definitely rate pretty high on her cute scale."  
  
"I guess," Talon said with a shrug. "She would've been less subtle than Robyn though."  
  
"Is that possible?" Keahi wondered.  
  
"Not much," Nikki admitted. "Short of knocking him out and dragging him off by his hair. But that might be a bit overboard."  
  
"I have got to meet this person," Keahi shook her head, amazed.  
  
"Among others," Talon agreed with a laugh. "I'll bet five pebbles."  
  


* * *

  
  
False dawn was lighting the sky when Ardeth was awoken by someone entering his tent. A warmth at his back, and an arm around his waist told him it wasn't Robyn. Silently he slid out from under her arm, and found his sword belt at the edge of the bed. He heard the intruder move closer, his boots scuffing along the carpet. At the sound of metal on metal, Ardeth drew his sword.  
  
A moment later the tableau was revealed as the metallic sound was proven to be the opening of a shuttered lantern. A young Medjai, his tattoos still a fresh bright blue, stood wide-eyed and stock still with the point of Ardeth's sword dimpling his throat.  
  
"I've come to warn you," he stammered. Ardeth lowered his sword, and the boy wondered if the Sheik would have killed him without ever rising from his bed. Ardeth turned to look at something behind him, lost in the shadows, then turned back to the young Medjai gesturing for him to speak.  
  
"We went to Hamunaptra as you ordered, and there was no one there. We found them at an oasis a few miles away, taking photographs. They had no idea the city was there, but Rajab ordered us to attack anyway.  
  
"Once the battle was over, we discovered that the _Inglizi_ had brought his wife and two children with him. They were hiding underneath the truck.  
  
"He tortured them my lord. He took the woman in front of her children before he killed her. Then he had the children tied to his horse, and he dragged them through the desert until they stopped screaming."  
  
"He what?" Robyn sat up, startling the young Medjai, who hadn't seen her in the shadows.  
  
"He killed them. Without mercy. And then, not long afterwards, one of his men arrived and told him you had been injured. I snuck out after dark and rode all night to warn you. He intends to challenge you while you are too weak to fight him. Please, they were children."  
  
"Thank-you Osman. Do you know when Rajab planned to set out this morning?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"They will be here in less than two hours," Robyn said, her voice distant. "They left as soon as they discovered Osman missing."  
  
"H-how?" the young Medjai wondered. Robyn just smiled.  
  
"Go," Ardeth ordered. "Report to Jalil, and have someone see to your horse."  
  
"Thank-you my lord. And," he blushed. "I am very sorry for disturbing your... rest," Osman backed hastily out of the tent.  
  
"I must prepare," Ardeth said after the boy was gone, lighting the lantern next to the bed.  
  
"This Rajab expects you to be almost dead. He's ridden all night to get here, he'll be exhausted. You have lots of time to get ready."  
  
"And what would you suggest I do then?" Ardeth turned around to look at the woman who stared back at him with a cat's eyes.  
  
"Pray."  
  
"Pray?" Ardeth gave her a startled look.  
  
"Yes," she said, leaning close to kiss the tattoos on his cheeks. "I can think of a god who would appreciate a little worship right about now."  
  
Ardeth smiled, finally understanding. "Hail Bast, coming forth from the secret place," he whispered. "May there be given to me splendor in the place of incense, herbs, and love-joys, peace of heart in the place of bread and beer."  
  


* * *

  
  
"Kanapapiki. What was that?" Keahi exclaimed, wide-eyed, spinning to stare at Nikki.  
  
"What was what?" Nikki asked, confused.  
  
"Robyn. I heard Robyn telling you about a 'wrong Medjai' and some dead children."  
  
"You heard that?" now it was Nikki's turn to look shocked. "You heard Robyn talking to me?"  
  
"And you were talking back, telling her the Medjai were on their way."  
  
:_Can you hear me if I do this?_: Keahi heard Nikki's voice clearly in her head. Keahi nodded her head.  
  
:_Yes_,: she concentrated, trying to direct the thought back to Nikki.  
  
"Oh wow," Nikki turned to Talon. "She can pick up the signal when I do a wide-band broadcast. You know, when Robyn and I are reconnecting the signal. It's wild. I can't wait to tell Robyn."  
  
"Why can't you just tell her now?" Keahi asked.  
  
"Um, 'cause she kinda has a 'do not disturb sign up,' " Keahi gave Nikki a blank look. "She's attending to the morning prayers."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Hmm, have you ever noticed how sand has this habit of getting into the most inconvenient places?" Talon asked, changing the subject.  
  
"What?" Keahi asked, turning to look at him. He held Keahi's previously discarded Mauser. When he pointed the barrel towards the ground more sand poured out than could possibly have been trapped inside.  
  
"How do you do that?" Keahi demanded.  
  
"Do what? Talon asked with a look of feigned innocence.  
  
"You have all those weapons, but nowhere to keep them. I mean, you can't have been carrying around my Mauser all this time."  
  
Talon smiled, and the Mauser disappeared. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. "Nothing up my sleeves," he reached his arm behind himself, and Keahi realized that he was actually pulling something out of the back pocket of his denim work pants. It turned out to be a roll of leather, which he unrolled on the floor between them. Inside was an amazing assortment of knives, daggers and throwing edges. Keahi's eyes widened in awe at the array of weapons from all styles and time periods.  
  
"Where did you get these?" she whispered, reaching out to remove one of the daggers from its place.  
  
"Around."  
  
"This is Han dynasty. It has to be worth a fortune."  
  
"Three pounds of semi-sweet chocolate and its yours."  
  
"No, really. How much do you want for this?"  
  
"Really. Three lbs. of chocolate. I only accept payment in chocolate. It's the only stable currency."  
  
An hour later, the entire roll had been negotiated for, and secreted about Keahi's person. The O'Connells had awoken to their spirited haggling, and Rick sat next to Nikki to watch the end of the show.  
  
"I wonder if Ardeth is okay?" Rick wondered. "I should go check on him."  
  
"He's fine," Nikki said. "Robyn's keeping an eye on him."  
  
"Among other things," Robyn said, entering the tent with Ardeth. She made eye contact briefly with Nikki, and gave Keahi a surprised nod.  
  
"Oh Ardeth," Evelyn exclaimed. "You're okay," she rushed over and crushed him in a hug. "How can I thank you for saving Alex?"  
  
"Thanks are not necessary, he would have done the same for me," Ardeth looked to Rick. "Rajab is on his way. He heard of my injury."  
  
"And he wants to kill you. Are you going to be able to fight him?"  
  
"Yes. My injury is completely healed. But Rajab does not know that," Ardeth quickly filled them in on everything Osman had told him. "I have alerted the Medjai that they will be needed in our search for the creature, but I must deal with this now."  
  
"They're here," Robyn and Nikki said in unison.  
  
Okay," Rick said. "I've given up being surprised by anything you can do."  
  
"Oh, I doubt that very much," Talon said with a laugh as they exited the guest tent. The returning Medjai, lead by Rajab, were just arriving among the tents.  
  
Robyn slipped something into Ardeth's hand as she walked past. "For luck," she whispered. He looked down at the pebble in his hand, a cat's eye inscribed on it in green ink. He slid the charm into his pocket, and strode forward to meet Rajab who still sat astride his horse.  
  
"Your time is over Ardeth Bay. You are no longer fit to lead the Medjai. I challenge you, and with your death _I_ shall become Sheik of the Medjai," Rajab dismounted, just as his horse shied away from something, causing him to stumble. A few Medjai laughed at a warrior who could not control his mount. Ardeth held his ground, forcing Rajab to come to him.  
  
The two Medjai faced each other across a circle of sand, surrounded by curious warriors on all sides. Most of the Medjai were silent, waiting for Ardeth to deal with this child. They had fought by his side against the Anubis warriors of the Scorpion King, he had already proven himself.  
  
The rest of the Medjai, those too young to have fought in the battle of Ahm Shere, chanted Rajab's name. The two began to circle each other, and Ardeth noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Nikki, Robyn, Keahi and Rick had taken up positions around the circle. He smiled. Rajab and his supporters hadn't even noticed.  
  
Rajab made the first move, his impatience making itself plain in his actions. He darted forward, trying to take Ardeth by surprise, his scimitar flashing in the early morning sun. Ardeth sidestepped quickly, taking the opportunity to assess his opponent's skills. Rajab was good, his weapons trainer had told Ardeth as much, but the boy was still relatively untried.  
  
The boy spun, trying to slash Ardeth across the back. His blade met Ardeth's as the elder Medjai anticipated Rajab's attack. The battle was joined. Swords clanged as they furiously exchanged blows. They drove each other back and forth around the circle, searching for an opening. Rajab ducked under Ardeth's swing, and slammed his fist into his opponent's side, trying to take advantage of his previous injury.  
  
Ardeth struck out with the pommel of his sword as Rajab flew past, knocking out a couple of teeth.  
  
"You'll pay for that old man," he growled. Someone behind him laughed darkly. He looked up into the eyes of a veiled stranger, one of Ardeth's new companions. He lashed out furiously as he stood, wanting to teach this outsider a lesson, just as he was going to teach all of them. The stranger sidestepped his wild strike easily, and followed it up with a lightening-fast kick that drove Rajab back into the circle.  
  
They stood facing each other, Rajab breathing hard. Ardeth stood at ease, waiting for Rajab to make the next move. The younger Medjai once again launched himself forward, trying to wear his opponent down. Ardeth could see that the boy was slowing, every move he made was easily countered and he didn't even realize it. He had ridden all night to take advantage of Ardeth's wound, only to discover that it wasn't doing him any good. He was a young man, cocky and convinced of his own greatness, a greatness that Ardeth was denying him. Rajab was letting his anger drive him, and because of it he was taking foolish risks.  
  
Rajab slashed at Ardeth, his sword slicing through his opponent's clothing, but missing the flesh beneath. Rajab had never fought a trained swordsman before, never been driven this fast or this furiously. He was on the defensive now, backing away from Ardeth's attacks. He tried to slash out at Ardeth's legs, hoping to incapacitate him somehow. His defence was wild and clumsy, and he was driven back. He stumbled and fell, his sword dropping to the sand.  
  
"Go ahead," Rajab scowled as Ardeth's sword came to rest at his throat. "Kill me."  
  
"No," Ardeth said, sheathing his sword and stepping away. "Your mother would never forgive me. You are no longer Medjai. Go. None of the twelve tribes will welcome you," Ardeth turned and walked away striding to the edge of the circle.  
  
Rajab growled low in his throat and reached behind him as he levered himself to his feet. He unsheathed the wickedly curved dagger that rested in the small of his back, and rushed towards Ardeth. He saw the veiled stranger watching him, raising a hand, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He was almost at Ardeth's unprotected back, his dagger raised and ready to kill, when he stumbled. He felt as though someone had punched him in the chest. Looking down, Rajab saw the knife handle protruding from his chest, saw the blood dripping to the sand. And then he saw nothing.  
  


* * *

  
  
Hoofbeats thundered down the packed dirt road outside of Cairo as Ardeth and his companions rode at a gallop towards the city. They rest of the Medjai had split off some miles back, heading out to search those places where Redman might be hiding the creature.  
  
"Remind me again why we're not out there with the others?" Rick growled as they arrived on the outskirts of the city.  
  
"Because we need to find Redman's backers before he can contact them," Even said.  
  
"Yeah, alright. We'll split up into pairs, we can cover more of the city that way," Rick quickly sorted them out into pairs: Rick and Keahi, Nikki and Evy, Tal and Alex, and Ardeth and Robyn.  
  


* * *

  
  
Out in the desert, hidden amongst the ruined temples and monuments to forgotten kings, the Eater of Souls waited patiently. She had waited countless floodings of the Nile, she could wait a little longer.  
  
Her new master paced impatiently, waiting for something. Ammut didn't care what. She cared little for these mortals, except for how they tasted. She watched him hungrily as he paced, licking a spot of blood off of her almost immaculately clean claws. She had not been allowed any kills since the foolish panicking fools at her awakening, and she was hungry. Blood and flesh satisfied her hunger so much more than the tasteless, textureless souls that were her usual fare. Soon this one would slake her thirst. But until then, she could wait.  
  
"Did your sacred warriors destroy them?"  
  
"_Destroy who Master_?"  
  
"The O'Connells. Did your soldiers kill them?"  
  
"_No Master. When my warriors were destroyed two were near death, but I do not know what happened to them_."  
  
"Well, that's something at least. Hopefully they'll be too busy dealing with their dead to chase us," Redman stopped pacing and looked at the creature in the shadows.  
  


* * *

  
  
Robyn lead the way through the narrow streets, heading towards the merchant's quarter. Still on horseback, they towered over the crowds. Enough people recognized Ardeth's tattoos to realize that these were not people to mess with. The street Robyn finally lead him to was almost deserted, and Ardeth didn't think he'd ever been down it before. She dismounted in front of a little shop with a faded sign whose blinds were closed, and tethered her borrowed horse to the flower box on the windowsill.  
  
"Why are we here? Do you think Redman will come here?" Ardeth looked up and down the street.  
  
"No. There's something I need to pick up here," she smiled. "The spell to open the gateway to the underworld. We need it or we can't push Ammut back through. I left it with a friend for safekeeping," Robyn knocked on the door, ignoring the closed sign.  
  
"We're closed," came a grumpy voice from inside the shop.  
  
"Tough shit, open up D."  
  
"Robs?" there was a clatter and a click as the door was unlocked from the inside. Robyn and Ardeth stepped into the darkened shop, and the door was closed and re-locked behind them. Ardeth studied the young woman who pulled Robyn into a friendly hug. She was about a foot taller than Robyn, with shoulder-length brown hair, and had dark, piercing eyes.  
  
"It's been awhile," she said as they broke apart.  
  
"Too long," Robyn smiled as she looked around the shop. "Well, I can see you make a great shopkeeper. I knew you would."  
  
"Yeah," the young woman gestured around the deserted bookshop. "You'd think they'd take the hint," someone rattled the doorknob, then knocked impatiently. "Piss off, we're closed," she yelled over her shoulder. "So, who's the wall?" she asked as she lead them through the back room.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Robyn said as they ducked through a beaded curtain into a beautiful sunny courtyard, shaded with potted palms. "This is Ardeth Bay. Ardeth, this is Deja Vu."  
  
"So what brings you to this part of the world? I thought you were hanging out in the new world for a while."  
  
"Well, I'm going to have to get that scroll back from you."  
  
"The one about the Eater of Souls? She's loose?"  
  
"Yeah," Robyn nodded. "It looks bad, but there's a bunch of us working on it."  
  
"Cool. You'll have to tell me all about it when you're done okay?"  
  
"Of course," Robyn grinned.  
  
"Okay, c'mon," Deja Vu rose, and they returned to the shop, where she began to rummage around behind the counter. "Here it is," she handed Robyn a dusty piece of papyrus.  
  
"Thanks D. I'll call you once this is over," Ardeth Bay and Robyn rushed out the door, and Deja Vu locked it in the face of a curious customer. She sighed.  
  
"Well that was a short cameo..."  
  


* * *

  
  
Rick and Keahi weren't faring very well in their search for Redman's contacts. They had started at the hotel, and checked the cafe where Keahi had met with him, but no one had seen him.  
  
"Would you really have killed us?" Rick asked as they sought information from their various contacts in Cairo's underworld.  
  
"Sure. Why not?" She looked at him innocently. "Well, maybe not Alex. I don't believe in killing children, even Haoli children."  
  
"How long have you been an assassin?" Rick decided to change the subject slightly.  
  
"A while."  
  
"Here, the _Scarlet Lotus_. Someone here will be able to tell us what we need to know. Act tough, but don't kill anybody. We can't get information out of someone if they're dead," Keahi gave him a calm, dispassionate look.  
  
"Maybe _you_ can't," she strode through the saloon-style swinging doors and Rick followed, shaking his head. She waited just inside the doors, waiting for Rick to decide who to talk to. He scanned the room until he found the face he was looking for.  
  
"Come on, we need to talk to my buddy Frankie," they moved through the smokey room, past men with hookahs and pungent cigars, belly dancers and a man with an eye patch sobbing piteously into his drink. They arrived at a table near the back occupied by a small bespectacled man in a rumpled white suit.  
  
"Hello Frankie," Rick sat down across the table, and the little man flinched.  
  
"Hello Rick," he removed and began to clean his glasses. "Who's your new friend?"  
  
"This is Keahi. Keahi, this is Frankie, the best con man in Cairo."  
  
"So?" Keahi sounded unimpressed.  
  
"So, he always knows when a possible 'investor' arrives in town. We're looking for some Germans."  
  
"Why would I tell you anything? You beat me up last time. And you hang out with a bad crowd now Rick. Those guys with the tattoos are scary."  
  
Rick reached across the table and grabbed Frankie by his cravat and pulled him closer.  
  
"You have no idea what scary is."  
  
Frankie looked to Keahi, "aren't you going to stop him? This is where you play good cop/bad cop right?"  
  
"Can I kill him yet?" Keahi asked Rick, her face expressionless as she examined her nails.  
  
"You really don't like people, do you?" Rick asked.  
  
"Not really. Dogs. I like dogs," she smiled slightly. "If you're not going to let me kill him, at least rough him up a little. I'm bored."  
  
"You sure you don't want to do this my way? She really doesn't care if you answer or not," Frankie glanced up at her expressionless face again, then back to Rick.  
  
"I'll talk."  
  
"You didn't even hit him," Keahi was disappointed.  
  
"Good plan Frankie. We've only let her kill one person today, she's a little testy."  
  


* * *

  
  
:_Um... hello?_:  
  
:_Hello Keahi,_: it was almost like there were two voices talking to her at once.  
  
:_That's because there are. We're both here,_: Keahi could 'hear' them smiling as they spoke.  
  
:_Oh. Well... Rick and I found out where the Germans are staying. They've got rooms in a hotel on the East bank, but they aren't there right now. The clerk at the desk said they rented a boat for the afternoon._:  
  
:_Okay_: she wasn't sure how, but she thought it was Nikki talking. :_Well, Talon and Alex were headed down towards the docks, maybe they've found something._:  
  
:_Well all I've got is the spell. No one will talk to me with tall, dark and 'by Allah this is serious,' hanging around. Stupid bloody pickpockets,_: Keahi caught an image of an unremarkable face wearing a very remarkable expression of pain. :_They never learn._:  
  
:_So, how long have you two been able to talk to each other like this?_: Keahi wondered.  
  
:_Since always. It isn't usually this easy for people to join in though. You're the only one that can talk to us like this without any effort._: Robyn replied.  
  
:_**We've found them, they're in a boat on the river,**_: for a brief moment, Keahi had almost felt as though she could see everything, understand everything. It was like she had been connected, just for an instant, with the universe itself.  
  
:_Well that's one theory,_: Robyn and Nikki chuckled in her head. _I guess Talon and Alex found what we were looking for. We'll meet you at the docks?_: there was a moment of agreement that needed no words and suddenly, Keahi was alone in her own head again.  
  


* * *

  
  
They met Talon and Alex at the docks, where Alex pointed out a small sailing ship moored not far away.  
  
"The man at the dock on the east bank said they rented the 'Wings of Horus' for the day. Looks like they're already on the way to their meeting."  
  
"At least we're not too far behind them. We can catch up," Nikki said.  
  
Soon the group was riding out into the desert, following the trail of the car the strangers had rented from a man who turned out to be one of those Medjai who chose to live outside the tribes.  
  
"He said they were headed towards the sphinx. They are no more than a half an hour ahead of us," they followed the faint trail their quarry had left behind. The track lead deeper into the desert, past the pyramids and across the wide plain that surrounded them. They found the car almost an hour later, abandoned outside a crumbling temple. Dismounting, they tied their horses in the shade out of sight, and approached the temple.  
  
"Here," Robyn said handing Keahi a battered papyrus scroll. "You're going to have to be the one to deal with this I think," Keahi unrolled the scroll, and gave Robyn a blank look.  
  
"I can't read this. This is written in ancient Egyptian. What is it?"  
  
"It's the spell to reopen the gate to the underworld, all you need is this," Robyn handed Keahi the ugly, battered bowl Redman had left behind. "And a little water. But if you can't read it. Hm..."  
  
"I can," Evelyn said, stepping forward.  
  
"Good. You two work together on that," Rick announced. "The rest of us will work on getting the amulet away from Redman however we can. Whoever grabs it first, order Ammut through the rift. That's all you need to do, right?" Robyn and Nikki nodded. "Is there anything else we need to know?" he asked Talon as they cautiously moved towards the dilapidated temple.  
  
"Um, remember to duck."  
  
Silently the group approached the open door of the temple. They could hear voices coming from inside, speaking quietly in German. Robyn and Nikki entered first, surprising everyone with how quickly they vanished. The others crept closer, using fallen masonry and crumbling walls as cover. They discovered their quarry in the temple's inner courtyard, admiring what was left of Ammut's latest victim.  
  
Silently, the men moved to surround the small courtyard and its occupants.  
  
"_Master, they are here_," Ammut's head shot up as she tested the air. "_We are surrounded by your enemies_."  
  
Ammut's warning gave Redman and the Germans enough time to dive for cover as Rick, Ardeth, Talon and Alex opened fire from their positions around the temple.  
  
Keahi began to cast the spell, with help from Evelyn, and Ammut growled in recognition. Power began to crackle along the stonework, an eerie purple-yellow that cast frightening shadows.  
  
"Stop them," Redman yelled at the creature as he cowered behind the altar. "I thought you said two of them were dead."  
  
A hand reached out of the altar and clamped across Redman's mouth, stifling his yells. He began to struggle, trying to escape, but more hands emerged from the stone to trap him. Robyn and Nikki seemed to flow out of the stone, as though stepping from a pool of water.  
  
Shots echoed through the temple courtyard, and bullets ricocheted off of the surrounding lotus-topped columns. The Germans tried to keep their opponents pinned down, hoping for a chance to escape. One of the taller men, who wore a lapel pin that looked like two jagged lightening bolts, made a break for the door. He learned the hard way that Talon never left the exit uncovered. He fell to the flagstone floor, his gun shot from his hand with surgical precision.  
  
Keahi grinned at the litany of threats the defeated man was reciting. She turned her attention back to the spell, pouring energy into the flow of the casting. She could almost see the rift now, the subtle shift in pressures between _here_ and _there_ told her that the ritual was working. With Evelyn coaching her in the unfamiliar language, Keahi continued the spell. Almost finished.  
  
Ammut searched the temple, seeking the person casting the spell. She raged from corner to corner, swiping at her Master's enemies as she passed. Finally her eyes fell on her Master, struggling with two women as they tried to pry the amulet away from him. Those two. So that was how these pitiful creatures had found the spell to banish her. She would not let them stop her again.  
  
Moving as quickly as her disparate nature would allow, Ammut raced towards the altar. By attacking her Master, they had left themselves vulnerable regardless of their lack of panic. She leapt on the closer of the two, using her lioness' claws to rip and tear. She turned quickly to the second, and with a snap of her jaws tore the interloper away from her Master.  
  
"Well done. Now destroy al those others who would dare to challenge the superiority of the Fatherland," Redman heard a strange sound from behind him, and turned to discover his attackers whole and unharmed. They stood and dusted themselves off, turning to where Ammut and Redman stood.  
  
"You know better than that Ammut," one of the said, raising an eyebrow. "We're not that easily stopped."  
  
"No," Redman gasped, eyes wide. "But you... you're. I saw..."  
  
"What would you call that?" Robyn asked, turning to Nikki.  
  
"That," Nikki replied. "Is a case of all out panic if I ever saw one."  
  
"Guess he forgot his towel," Robyn said, as Ammut turned to her Master.  
  
"No. I am your Master," Redman stammered, backing away. He grasped the amulet where it hung from its golden chain. "You cannot harm me."  
  
"Oops. Wrong answer," Nikki shook her head.  
  
"_I am Ammut, the Eater of Souls, and you are no longer my Master_," she strode forward, her crocodile grin widening with anticipation. Redman had no chance to escape, as Ammut devoured him in three large bites.  
  
Robyn and Nikki rushed forward as Ammut attacked, hoping to grab the amulet while she was preoccupied.  
  
"_You'll not send me back so easily again_," Ammut threw her head back and swallowed what was left of her erstwhile master, along with the precious amulet. She laughed, a thundering echo that threatened to bring the roof down on their heads. "_I will not return to the Hall of Justice, to beg for whatever scraps Anubis and Ma'at dangle in front of me._  
  
"_And you shall all be destroyed. You_, she glared at the Germans, who were backed into a corner, trying hard not to panic. "_You will die for daring to believe you could keep the Eater of Souls as your slave. And you_," she growled at her remaining opponents. "_You will die slowly for what you have_..."  
  
Everyone turned to see what had brought Ammut's diatribe to such an abrupt halt. Robyn sat on the floor of the temple wearing a double handful of finger-puppets made to look like the members of her group. The finger-puppets were, with rapt attention, watching another, larger puppet. This puppet, in the hands of Talon, was made to look vaguely like Ammut. The Ammut puppet was clearly angry, stalking back and forth before the audience of smaller puppets.  
  
Talon and Robyn seemed to sense that everyone was watching them, and slowly turned to face the room.  
  
"What?" the asked in unison, wearing identical expressions of baffled innocence before Ammut began to howl.  
  
Ammut thundered through the little temple, ripping walls apart and toppling columns. Her screams of rage and the tower of dust and debris rising from the temple drew the rest of the Medjai in from the desert.  
  
The Germans began to realize that their plan was now completely unsalvageable. Their leader, still clutching at his wounded hand, signaled for his men to make for the door while Ammut was occupied elsewhere. They kept low, trying to stay out of her line of sight. One of them stumbled on a piece of fallen masonry, cursing. He clamped his hand over his mouth, realizing what he'd done.  
  
Ammut turned, deathly silent now, and began to stalk the Germans. They backed away slowly, like rabbits unable to run from a snake. She reached the nearest, and growled. He tried to scream, but all that escaped before she disemboweled him with her claws was a small squeak.  
  
Undiscovered, Keahi came to the conclusion of the spell, sprinkling a few drops of water over the mouth of the little clay pot. She whispered the last few words as Evelyn read them to her. With a soft pop, the gateway opened, and Keahi willed it to drift to the floor. She reached out with her mind and warned Robyn and Nikki about the invisible hole how lying on the temple floor, as well as how close the other Medjai were getting.  
  
Keahi leapt down from the roof, where she and Evy had been keeping out of sight. Now that the spell was cast, she could join in the fun. It had been a long time since she'd had this much fun.  
  
Once again Ammut unleashed her magic, calling up the ancient dead from the desert around them. Not far away, an irrigation ditch fed from the Nile began to bubble, and the roiling mud gave birth to a horde of crocodile warriors. At her command, they swarmed the approaching Medjai, keeping them far too busy to aid those within the temple. There was no way they could force her through now, not with the amulet in her possession. But it paid to be cautious.  
  
While her minions kept the Medjai tribes at bay, Ammut took her time devouring the foreigners whose hubris knew no bounds. She simply ignored Bastet, Sekhmet and their companions, knowing they could do no more harm to her than she could to them.  
  
When the last German was nothing more than a pleasant, coppery tasting memory, Ammut turned to her remaining enemies. Some of these seemed edible. The skinny, twitching one was giving her a headache, and if for nothing else, she would kill them all for that.  
  
Talon moved forward, putting himself between Ammut and her intended prey.  
  
"_You cannot stop me. I will have the justice they denied me_."  
  
Talon reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a bizarre device with a small engine, and a flat metal blade wrapped with what looked like a bicycle chain. With a pull of the starter cord, the machine roared into life, the strange sound startling Ammut. After a moment however, she laughed.  
  
"_No man made weapon can hurt me_."  
  
"Seems to be a lot of that going around," Robyn chuckled.  
  
"Good thing this chainsaw was made by pocket gnomes then, isn't it?" Talon asked guilelessly.  
  
Ammut lashed out, swiping at the tiny buzzing toy with her paw. She howled in pain and furious anger as the sharpened chain tore a gash in her sensitive paw.   
  
"_You will pay for this, you will all pay_."  
  
"Blah, blah, blah," Robyn murmured under her breath.  
  
"Do you honour Canadian Tire money at par?" Talon laughed.  
  
"_Stop patronizing me_," Ammut exclaimed. "_I am the Eater of Souls, feared throughout the land of Egypt._"  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, we don't care Ammut. You won't be around long enough for it to matter who fears you, we're going to send you back," Talon began to circle around her, and she turned to keep an eye on him. He revved the chainsaw's engine, and she growled and pounced. She landed only inches away from where he stood, skidding across the slate floor of the temple, and her forelegs slipped into the gateway Keahi had opened. Ammut screamed in fury, and snapped at Talon, grabbing ahold of his jacked in her jaws as she started to slip forward into the gateway. While Talon kept her occupied, the others raced around and began to push from behind, forcing Ammut through the portal. She screamed, her front paws scrabbling to find purchase in the ether. Slowly, inexorably, they pushed Ammut through the rift.  
  
"Keahi," Robyn said through clenched teeth, as they all pushed at Ammut's expansive hippopotamus hindquarters. "As soon as she's through, close the rift."  
  
"But what about Talon? He'll be trapped."  
  
"He will be remembered," Ardeth said as they pushed Ammut a fraction of an inch closer to their goal.  
  
"Whatever," Robyn mumbled. "Just be ready," they could fell Ammut slipping now, and they gave one huge push. Ammut's final scream of rage and defiance was cut off abruptly as Keahi closed the gate with a gesture.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ardeth laid a hand on Robyn shoulder. "His sacrifice was not in vain."  
  
Robyn turned and looked deeply into his eyes. "What sacrifice," she asked, confused. She turned to Nikki, who shrugged. Keahi looked at Robyn, then Nikki, bewildered.  
  
A moment later, Talon stepped out of the only remaining column, holding his jacket, and shaking his head in disgust.  
  
"Ruined a perfectly good jacket," he sighed.  
  
"What took you so long?" Nikki asked with a laugh.  
  
"I had to detour around Robyn's realm. You really need to feed your house plants Robyn, before they turn on each other."  
  
"Oh yeah, I keep forgetting. Sorry Tal."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"What about the rest of the Medjai?" Rick asked, pointing out through a hole in the temple walls. "They're still fighting Ammut's warriors."  
  
"Not them again," Robyn sighed.  
  
"Want me to whip up another rainstorm?" Keahi asked.  
  
"Nah, then the mummies would be too wet to burn," Talon said. "I'll deal with them," a heartbeat later, from out of nowhere, flew thousands of scarabs flashing like metal in the sun.  
  
"What are they?" Alex asked. "They aren't real, are they?"  
  
"They're..." Talon searched for a concept the humans would understand.  
  
"Shapti," Robyn supplied.  
  
"Yes, exactly," he exclaimed. "Shapti."  
  
"Shapti?" Evelyn asked incredulous. "They don't look much like it."  
  
"Would it make any more sense to you if I told you they were semi-autonomous combat drones?  
  
"Um... Shapti it is then," Rick said watching as the beetles attacked Ammut's creatures with fire or water, whichever their nature required.  
  
"Why didn't you pull these out of your hat when _we_ had to fight those things?"  
  
"You probably don't want to know," Talon replied with a smile.  
  
"No, I probably don't."  
  
Rick smiled and pulled Evelyn into a kiss, ignoring the gagging sounds their son made.  
  
"Oh please. Get a room," Alex, Nikki and Talon chorused. Ardeth laid a hand on Robyn's shoulder, and she smiled back at him, then let her gaze drift back to the spectacular scene unfolding before them.  
  
They all watched quietly from the decimated temple as Talon's little shapti destroyed all of Ammut's warriors. As the last of the fires sparked and died, the Medjai let out a cheer. The destruction of the Earth had, once again, been averted.  
  
Everyone left the temple as the sun began to set, rounding up their horses, which had all bolted during the battle. Beginning their journey back to the Medjai camp the O'Connells, Ardeth, Robyn, Talon, Nikki and Keahi rode with the sun at their backs. The other Medjai scattered, heading back to their various encampments, and soon the desert was silent. As darkness descended on the land of the dead, the only sounds to be heard was the soft humming of scarabs whose carapaces glowed like gold in the fading light of sunset.  
  


* * *

> _Epilogue:_

The O'Connells' strange new friends stayed with them in Egypt throughout the season, warning them about things the Medjai might want to keep an eye on in the future. They also gave them a few good ideas for new dig locations, ones that wouldn't unearth anything more dangerous than a few blunt knives, at least.   
  
The day before the O'Connell family was to return to England, their four strange new friends disappeared in the night. No one saw them leave, and the only things they left behind were a battered pot, a few extremely rare ancient coins, and portrait of the four of them, drawn in ancient Egyptian style on a scrap of papyrus.  
  
_**Fin**_

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Please check out http:www.psychosix.com for original stories starring Robyn and the gang.

Robyn


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